This is an entry from: Israel-Palestine live: Thousands in state of panic as Israel continues to strike hospitals
US flies drones over Gaza to search for hostages
3 November 2023 06:37 GMT
The US has been operating surveillance drones above Gaza to locate hostages taken by Hamas, two US officials said on Thursday.
MQ-9 Reapers, managed by the U.S. Special Operations forces, have been identified on Flightradar24, a flight-tracking website accessible to the public, with their first sighting occurring on Saturday, though officials say they have been active in the area days after 7 October, the NY Times reported.
US defence officials indicated that although Israel regularly performs surveillance flights above Gaza, it is thought to be the first instance of US drones being used for missions in the airspace over Gaza.