US confirms drone flights over Gaza, says they are for hostage rescue efforts

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US confirmed Friday that it is operating reconnaissance drone flights over the Gaza Strip, saying they are being conducted in order to assist efforts to free the over 200 hostages taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7.

“In support of hostage recovery efforts, the U.S. 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," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.

"These UAV flights began after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel," he added.

The confirmation comes one day after the New York Times newspaper reported on the flights, which it said consisted of six MQ-9 Reapers being flown by US special operations forces. The flights were first detected last weekend on the Flightradar24 flight tracking website.

Anonymous Pentagon officials told the Times that the flights are not aiding Israel's ongoing invasion of the besieged Gaza Strip.

Over 9,200 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, including 3,826 children and 2,405 women, according to the enclave's Health Ministry. Over 23,000 others have been injured.

The bulk of the US flights are being conducted over southern Gaza, and just off the occupied territory's Mediterranean coast, an analysis of the flights conducted by the Times showed.

The MQ-9, the type of drone the US is flying over Gaza, is primarily used to conduct intelligence collection operations, but was designed as a "hunter-killer" aircraft with lethal offensive capabilities. It is capable of being flown for 24-hour missions, according to the US Air Force's website. It boasts a range of 1,150 miles (1850 km).