Pentagon Confirms U.S. Flying Surveillance Drones Over Gaza

U.S. Special Operations Forces are operating an estimated seven MQ-9 Reaper UAVs, conducting daily flights over the war-torn area in an effort to locate hostages.

Jack Daleo

Friday, November 03, 2023 at 02:36 PM ET

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An MQ-9 Reaper flies a training mission over the U.S. Air Force Nevada Test and Training Range in 2019. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. military is playing a larger, previously undisclosed role in the Israel-Gaza conflict, specifically aiding in hostage recovery efforts.
U.S. Special Operations Command is flying unarmed MQ-9A Reaper surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip to help locate approximately 240 hostages held by Hamas.
These drone flights began shortly after Hamas's October 7 attack, supplementing U.S. military advisors on the ground providing advice and assistance to Israeli forces.
While direct U.S. special operations involvement in hostage retrieval is considered an emergency contingency, current actions focus on surveillance and support for Israeli operations.

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The U.S. military is playing a larger role in the most recent conflict in Israel and Gaza than previously thought.

On Friday, the Pentagon confirmed reports that forces from the U.S. Special Operations Command are flying unarmed surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip to assist in the recovery of hostages held by Hamas, of which there are thought to be around 240, including several Americans.