US drones are flying over Gaza to aid in the recovery of hostages, officials say
The US military is flying surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip, according to two Defense Department officials and an analysis by The New York Times. The officials said the drones were used to assist in the recovery of hostages. indicating that the US is more involved than previously thought.
The planes are MQ-9 Reapers flown by U.S. Special Operations forces and were first spotted Saturday on Flightradar24, a publicly available flight-tracking website, although Pentagon officials said the planes have been flying since the days active in the area after the disaster. 7 surprise attack on Israel by Hamas.
While Israel regularly conducts reconnaissance flights over Gaza, U.S. defense officials say this is likely the first time U.S. drones have flown missions over Gaza.
The flights are at a critical time. Israel is in the early stages of a ground invasion of Gaza and says Hamas is holding more than 240 hostages, 10 of whom are believed to be Americans.
According to Defense Ministry officials, the unarmed surveillance flights do not support Israeli military operations on the ground. Two officials said the purpose was to help locate hostages, check for signs of life and pass on possible leads to the Israeli military.
The US military has provided military aid to Israel, including bombs and artillery shells, and has deployed two aircraft carriers and hundreds of troops to the Middle East since the October 7 attack. Several dozen U.S. commandos have been sent to Israel to help advise on hostage recovery efforts. But the surveillance flights suggest the Pentagon is taking a more active role in a key IDF mission to rescue hostages.
The flights are concentrated in southern Gaza, about 15 miles from the Israeli army’s first attack in the north. At least six separate MQ-9 aircraft appear to be involved in the effort, according to Amelia Smith, an aviation researcher who has been monitoring the flights. Several planes analyzed by The Times and Ms. Smith loitered over Gaza for about three hours, at 24,000 to 26,000 feet.
The MQ-9 was designed as the US Air Force’s first ‘hunter-killer’ drone, but it is primarily used for surveillance missions due to its advanced sensors and ability to hover over an area for more than 20 hours at a time. It has been used to conduct airstrikes and gather intelligence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. The MQ-9 is used by many militaries around the world, but not by Israel.