WASHINGTON – The U.S. military is flying unarmed drones over the Gaza Strip to help Israel find the more than 200 hostages taken there by Hamas during the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 attack, the Defense Department announced Friday.
“In support of hostage recovery efforts, the United States is conducting unarmed unmanned aerial vehicle flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance to support our Israeli partner as they work on their hostage recovery efforts,” said the Pentagon spokesperson, Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
While Friday was the first time the Pentagon acknowledged drone operations, Ryder said the flights “began after the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel.”
The revelation came after some media outlets in Israel spotted US drones flying over Gaza, despite President Biden’s pledge not to send US troops to the Jewish state to take part in the conflict.
The military uses drones for both military strikes and reconnaissance, and unarmed drones typically perform the latter operation.
The US military is flying unarmed drones over the Gaza Strip to help Israel find the more than 200 hostages taken there by Hamas during the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 attack. AFP via Getty Images
How celebrities, schools and companies have reacted to the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel
Pentagon spokesman, Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said: “In support of hostage recovery efforts, the United States is conducting unarmed unmanned aerial vehicle flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance to support our Israeli partner.”
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel.
The revelation came after some media outlets in Israel spotted US drones flying over Gaza, despite President Biden’s pledge not to send US troops to the Jewish state to take part in the conflict.
Follow the Post’s coverage of Israel’s war with Hama
The United States initially sent special forces operators to Israel to help train and advise on hostage recovery after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed more than 1,400 people, including at least 33 Americans. Gili Yaari/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
War between Israel and Hamas: how we got here
2005: Israel unilaterally withdraws from the Gaza Strip more than three decades after seizing the territory from Egypt in the Six-Day War.
2006: The terrorist group Hamas wins the Palestinian legislative elections.
2007: Hamas takes control of Gaza in a civil war.
2008: Israel launches a military offensive against Gaza after Palestinian terrorists fire rockets at the city of Sderot.
2023: Hamas launches the biggest attack on Israel in 50 years, in an early morning ambush on October 7, firing thousands of rockets and sending dozens of militants into Israeli cities.
The terrorists killed more than 1,400 Israelis, wounded more than 4,200 and took at least 200 hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to announce: “We are at war” and promised that Hamas would pay “a price it has never known.”
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 3,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,500 wounded since the war began.
The United States initially sent special forces operators to Israel to help train and advise on hostage recovery after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed more than 1,400 people, including at least 33 Americans.
Those U.S. troops have since left the country, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House on Thursday.
Authorities have said a handful of Americans (up to 10) remain among the hostages trapped in Gaza by Hamas.
“We remain relentlessly focused on securing the release of hostages, including American citizens,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Friday after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Today we discuss these ongoing efforts.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn