WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) – The United States has been flying surveillance drones over Gaza in search of hostages taken by Hamas when the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, two U.S. officers stated on Thursday.
The two U.S. officers, talking on the situation of anonymity, stated the united stateswas flying intelligence gathering drones over Gaza to help with hostage location efforts. One of the officers stated that they had been finishing up the drone flights for over per week.
U.S. officers have stated 10 Americans who stay unaccounted for could also be among the many greater than 200 folks taken as hostages into Gaza, the place they’re believed to be held in Hamas’ intensive tunnel community.
Israeli forces on Thursday encircled Gaza City – the Gaza Strip’s most important metropolis – in their assault on Hamas, which resisted with hit-and-run assaults from underground tunnels.
The metropolis in the north of Gaza has turn into the main focus of assault for Israel, which has vowed to annihilate the Islamist group’s command construction and has informed civilians to flee to the south.
Hamas fighters launched a shock assault into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 folks, principally civilians, in response to Israeli officers, in the deadliest day of the nation’s 75-year historical past.
Israel’s retaliation bombardment and floor offensive of the small Palestinian enclave of 2.3 million has killed at the very least 9,061 folks, in response to Gaza well being authorities.
Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Michael Perry
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