US flying drones over Gaza 'looking for hostages' amid Israel's war with Hamas
The US has said the drones it is flying over Gaza are unarmed and they are searching for hostages.
Clips of the drones' flight paths on the flight data tracking website Flightradar24 caused a reaction on social media site Tik Tok. Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said the flights by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) began after the brutal Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Around 1,400 people were killed in the attack and over 200 hostages taken. Despite calls for a ceasefire after Israel's response, Israel said this will not happen until hostages are returned.
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The US has deployed Navy ships to the region (US Department of Defense/AFP via)On Friday, the Pentagon said: "The US is conducting unarmed UAV flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance to support our Israeli partner as they work on their hostage recovery efforts." Drones including MQ-9 Reapers were spotted online, usually operated by American special forces.
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US military officials told the New York Times said the drones were not being used to help Israel coordinate its attacks in the region.
The US has stopped short of a calling for a ceasefire, instead recommending a humanitarian "pause" as Iraeli airstrikes continue to pound Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the calls.
Palestinian people wash clothes with seawater as the humanitarian crisis deepens (Anadolu via Getty Images)A senior Biden administration official said Friday the US believes the fighting will need to take a “fairly significant pause” to allow for their release, modelled on a smaller-scale letup last month that allowed two American hostages to be freed.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under White House rules, said the release was a “testing pilot” for how a broader deal could be struck and that negotiations on a “larger package” of hostages are ongoing. The official emphasized it would require a significant halt in fighting to ensure their safety.
More than 9,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far, including more than 3,600 Palestinian children according to the Gaza Health Ministry. With food, water and the fuel needed for generators that power hospitals and other facilities running out, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an immediate cease-fire to allow aid in.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is horrific,” Guterres said late Friday in an unusually blunt statement. "An entire population is traumatized, nowhere is safe.” Guterres said he had not forgotten the slaughter of civilians at the hands of Hamas militants when they launched their attack on Israel almost a month ago, but said civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.
A man carries an injured Palestinian child at Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City (Anadolu via Getty Images)Recently, President Joe Biden asked for help from Congress in a public address. Israel would receive $14.3 billion in assistance under the proposal and most of the cash would go towards air and missile defence systems.
While there is bipartisan support in the Democratic-led Senate for aid to both Ukraine and Israel, the request faces deep problems in the Republican-led House. New Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed focusing on Israel alone, and slashing money for the Internal Revenue Service to pay for it.
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