US using drones over Gaza to help Israel search for signs of hostages
US officials have said 10 Americans who remain unaccounted for may be among the more than 200 people taken as hostages into Gaza.
The United States has been flying surveillance drones over Gaza in search of hostages taken by Hamas when the Palestinian terror group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, two US officials said on Thursday.
The two US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the US was flying intelligence-gathering drones over Gaza to assist with hostage location efforts. One of the officials said they had been carrying out the drone flights for over a week.
US officials have said 10 Americans who remain unaccounted for may be among the more than 200 people taken as hostages into Gaza, where they are believed to be held in Hamas' extensive tunnel network.
Israeli forces on Thursday encircled Gaza City - the Gaza Strip's main city - in their assault on Hamas, which resisted with hit-and-run attacks from underground tunnels.
The city in the north of Gaza has become the focus of attack for Israel, which has vowed to annihilate the Islamist group's command structure and has told civilians to flee to the south.
Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials, in the deadliest day of the nation's 75-year history.
More foreigners due to evacuate
The Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt was due to open for a third day on Friday for limited evacuations under a Qatari-brokered deal aimed at letting some foreign passport holders, their dependents and some wounded Gazans out of the enclave.
According to border officials, more than 700 foreign citizens left for Egypt via Rafah on the two previous days. Dozens of critically injured Palestinians were to cross too. Israel asked foreign countries to send hospital ships for them.
Over a third of Gaza's 35 hospitals are not functioning, with many turned into impromptu refugee camps.
"The situation is beyond catastrophic," said the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, describing packed corridors and many medics who were themselves bereaved and homeless.
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