{"id":2090036,"date":"2023-11-04T12:50:05","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T16:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-acknowledges-flying-drones-over-gaza-to-help-with-hostage-search\/"},"modified":"2023-11-04T12:56:52","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T16:56:52","slug":"pentagon-acknowledges-flying-drones-over-gaza-to-help-with-hostage-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-acknowledges-flying-drones-over-gaza-to-help-with-hostage-search\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon admits using drones in Gaza to aid hostage search."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpentagon-acknowledges-flying-drones-over-gaza-to-help-with-hostage-search%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2090036&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>The U.S. Military Uses Surveillance\u2063 Drones\u200c to Locate Hostages in Gaza<\/h2>\n<p>The \u200dU.S. military has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-acknowledges-flying-drones-over-gaza-to-help-with-hostage-search\/\" title=\"Pentagon admits using drones in Gaza to aid hostage search.\">conducting \u200bunarmed surveillance \u200cdrone flights<\/a> over Gaza in an \u2063effort to gather information about American and other hostages held by the Palestinian terrorist \u2064group Hamas. This revelation was confirmed by the Pentagon on November 3.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. \u2063Patrick\u200d S. Ryder stated in \u2064an email to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airandspaceforces.com\/us-mq9-gaza-israel-hamas-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Air &#038; Space Forces Magazine<\/a> that the United States has been using unmanned aerial\u200d vehicles (UAVs) \u200cto fly over Gaza \u200bsince Hamas launched a brutal surprise\u200d attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of \u2062over 1,400 people, \u200cmostly Israeli civilians celebrating a Jewish holiday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;In support of hostage recovery efforts, the U.S. is conducting unarmed\u2064 UAV flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance\u200d to \u2062support \u200bour\u2063 Israeli partner as they \u200cwork on\u2064 their hostage recovery efforts,&#8221; said Brig. Gen. Ryder.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>In late October, the U.S. government reported \u2063that 10 Americans were still unaccounted \u2062for nearly a month after Hamas&#8217;s attack in Israel. It was noted that a &#8220;significant number&#8221;\u2064 of\u2062 the missing individuals may have been taken as hostages and brought back\u2063 to Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The\u2062 UAV flights, which are \u200ccarrying out surveillance missions, were initially detected by online flight trackers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;Earlier today, a drone that was tracked from a position off the\u2063 coast of Crete loitered\u2064 over Gaza \u200bfor just under 3 hours,&#8221; stated aviation researcher \u2064Amelia Smith in an October 29 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ameliairheart\/status\/1718514928624206220\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tweet<\/a>. &#8220;What wasn&#8217;t visible on\u2062 flight trackers were\u200d two MQ-9A Extended Range Reaper drones \u2062also in the\u2062 area: REMIX22 &#038; REMIX55 from NAS Sigonella.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/hezbollah-leader-praises-hamas-attack-threatens-to-use-all-means-against-israel-5522593?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">Hezbollah Leader Praises \u2063Hamas Attack, Threatens\u200c to Use All Means Against Israel<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>11\/3\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/blinken-urges-protections-for-civilians-in-gaza-on-visit-to-israel-amid-fears-war-could-widen-5522448?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">Israel Resists \u2064US Pressure to Pause\u2064 the \u2062War to\u2062 Allow More Aid\u200b to Gaza, Wants\u2064 Hostages Back First<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>11\/3\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The MQ-9 Reaper UAV, according to the U.S. Air Force, is primarily used for \u2064intelligence gathering. It can remain airborne at altitudes\u2064 of around 50,000 feet for \u200bover\u2064 27 hours, collecting intelligence through advanced cameras, sensors, and \u2062radars. With a 66-foot wingspan, a Honeywell engine, \u200cand the ability to carry 3,900\u2064 pounds of fuel, the Reaper has a maximum speed of 240 knots (276 \u200cmph).<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>  An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) is parked in a hanger \u2064at\u200c Creech Air \u200cForce Base in\u2062 Indian Springs, Nev., \u200bon Nov. 17, 2015. (Isaac Brekken\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Reaper, which has been in service with the U.S. Air Force for \u200b16 years, can also \u2063be\u200b equipped with \u200bair-to-ground missiles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>MQ-9s have been acquired by various \u200corganizations\u2063 and air forces, including the U.S. Department of Homeland \u2064Security, NASA, the UK Royal Air Force,\u200c the Italian Air Force, the French Air Force, and the Spanish Air Force. The task of rescuing the hostages taken by \u2064Hamas is further complicated by the fact that many \u200dof them may be held in the terrorist group&#8217;s extensive underground\u2064 tunnel network. Additionally, Hamas has a history of using civilians as\u2062 human shields to protect their fighters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>On November 3, the Biden administration revealed that efforts to secure \u200cthe release of hostages held by Hamas have been an &#8220;incredibly intense process&#8221;\u2063 with no guarantees\u200d of success.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are going \u2064to do everything possible to ensure the safe return of all hostages from Gaza,&#8221; stated a senior Biden administration official during a press call. However, the official acknowledged that\u200c the situation is &#8220;incredibly difficult, complex, and time-consuming&#8221; due\u200c to the large\u2062 number of hostages held by Hamas.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The\u200d official mentioned that the release of two\u200b American hostages last month demonstrated what is possible, but communicating with Hamas \u2064and securing the release of the remaining hostages remains challenging. &#8220;We are hopeful and \u2063doing everything we possibly can to get hostages\u2062 out, but there&#8217;s absolutely no guarantee that\u200b it&#8217;s going to happen, or when it&#8217;s going to happen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Gaza City \u200bSurrounded<\/h2>\n<p>Israel&#8217;s\u200b military announced on November\u200d 3\u200b that\u200b it has encircled Gaza City \u2064and initiated targeted attacks on Hamas. The city in\u2064 the northern part of Gaza has become the\u200b focal point of Israeli\u2064 retaliation, as the country aims to \u2063dismantle \u200cthe command structure of the Islamic terrorist \u2062group.<\/p>\n<p>Israel has\u2063 repeatedly\u2062 urged residents of northern Gaza to evacuate\u200b to the south for their safety, but many have been unable \u2063to leave or are afraid of continued airstrikes in \u2062the south. Israel maintains that its strikes are aimed \u200cat Hamas, which continues to operate among civilians, endangering \u200btheir lives.<\/p>\n<p>The military reported that its troops have killed numerous Hamas\u2064 terrorists as they exited tunnels. Footage released by the \u2063military showed soldiers and tanks advancing toward destroyed buildings.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Israeli reprisals on\u2063 blockaded Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least\u200d 8,525 people, according to the\u200b Palestinian health ministry. However, these figures cannot be independently\u200b verified as \u2063the \u200dterrorist group has previously inflated casualty numbers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p><em>Reuters and Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed\u2064 to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p><em>From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ntd.com\/pentagon-acknowledges-flying-drones-over-gaza-to-help-with-hostage-search_952295.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NTD News<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>Have any hostages been\u200b released by Hamas?<\/h2>\n<p><span>Four captives\u2062 have been released so far after negotiations through diplomatic channels with mediation from countries that include Qatar and Egypt. On October 20, Hamas released the first captives \u2013 US citizens Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17 \u2013 saying it\u200c was for \u201chumanitarian \u2064reasons\u201d. Ult&#8221;\u2063 and that it is challenging to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blinken-says-u-s-working-to-verify-reports-of-americans-killed-or-captured-in-hamas-attack-on-israel\/\" title=\"Blinken: U.S. verifying Americans killed or captured in Hamas attack on Israel.\">gather accurate information<\/a> about the hostages&#8217; whereabouts \u2064and conditions \u2063while operating in a hostile environment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-quote\">\n<p>&#8220;We\u2064 have numerous sources of intelligence, \u2063and we use a range of tools \u200band capabilities \u2062to\u2062 help us understand what is happening on the \u2062ground,&#8221; the official said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The use of unarmed surveillance \u2064drones \u200bby the U.S. military in Gaza\u2062 is \u200bseen as \u200ca method to \u200bgather crucial information that can\u2063 aid in the negotiations\u2064 and planning for hostage recovery operations. The drones provide\u2063 valuable intelligence on the movements \u2064and activities of Hamas militants, as well as any potential locations where the \u200dhostages \u2063may be held.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;These surveillance missions enable\u2064 us to have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/live-view-of-israels-border-with-lebanon\/\" title=\"Live feed of Israel-Lebanon border\">real-time understanding<\/a> of the situation on the ground, \u200dassess any threats to the\u200c hostages, and identify possible opportunities for their rescue,&#8221; Brig. Gen. Ryder explained.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>However, these operations\u200d come with their own set of challenges. The \u2063airspace over Gaza is highly contested,\u200d with frequent clashes between the Israeli military and Hamas fighters. \u200cThe threat of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/panetta-u-s-should-punish-russian-aggression-with-cyber-attacks-on-infrastructure-electric-grid-pipelines\/\" title=\"Panetta: U.S. Should Punish Russian Aggression with 'Cyber' Attacks on Infrastructure, Electric Grid, Pipelines\">anti-aircraft missiles<\/a> and other air defense systems poses a significant risk to the surveillance \u200cdrones. Moreover, the narrow and densely populated urban environment of Gaza makes it difficult to conduct\u200c effective surveillance without risking collateral damage or civilian casualties.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;Our operators are highly trained and experienced in\u200c navigating complex situations and adhering to strict rules of\u2064 engagement\u2063 to minimize the risk to civilians,&#8221; said Brig. Gen. Ryder. &#8220;We take the safety\u200c and\u200b well-being of the hostages, as well as the civilians on \u200cthe ground, very seriously.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The U.S. military&#8217;s use of surveillance drones to\u2064 locate hostages in Gaza underscores the complexity of\u2062 the hostage recovery efforts and the commitment to ensuring their\u2064 safe return. It highlights the \u2064reliance \u2064on advanced technology and\u2063 intelligence gathering capabilities to gather crucial information in hostile environments. However,\u200c it also brings to\u2064 light the challenges and risks involved in conducting such operations, particularly in \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/it-begins-israel-calls-up-thousands-of-troops-positions-heavy-machinery-for-ground-offensive\/\" title=\"IT BEGINS: Israel Calls Up Thousands Of Troops, Positions Heavy Machinery For Ground Offensive\">densely populated areas<\/a> \u200dwith ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>As efforts to rescue the American and other \u200chostages continue, the U.S. government and its partners will collaborate closely to gather intelligence, develop strategies, and explore all \u200cpossible\u2064 avenues for their safe release. The use of \u200dsurveillance drones is just one facet of \u2064a broader and multifaceted approach to hostage recovery that includes diplomatic negotiations, \u2064intelligence sharing, and coordination with\u200b international partners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The hostage situation in Gaza remains a complex and evolving issue, and the U.S. military&#8217;s involvement through unmanned surveillance drones highlights the ongoing commitment to the safe return of all hostages. The hope\u200d is that these efforts will lead to positive\u2062 outcomes \u200dand ensure the swift and secure release of the captives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>the U.S. military is using unarmed surveillance drones to gather intel on American and other hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder confirmed this on Nov. 3, stating that the drones are aiding Washington&#8217;s efforts to collect information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":2090037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2090036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2090036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2090037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2090036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2090036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2090036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}