Multiple countries, including the UK, are reportedly assisting Israeli forces to rescue hostages taken by Hamas during its attack on Oct. 7. These hostages are believed to be used as “bargaining chips” by Hamas. President Biden has emphasized that rescuing the hostages is a top priority for the US.
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Key Points:Â
- Hamas took approximately 199 Israeli hostages during its October 7 attack. Other nations, including the US and the UK, have citizens who are either missing or confirmed as hostages, with 13 Americans and up to 10 British nationals unaccounted for.
- The British Special Forces are believed to be collaborating with Israel’s Sayeret Matkal force and the U.S. Delta Force to gather intelligence and plan a potential hostage rescue.
- General Lord Richard Dannatt, former chief of the British army’s general staff, stated that hostage rescue is a specialty of the UK’s Special Forces, considering them among the best globally for such situations.
- President Biden, during his visit to Israel, expressed the urgency and priority of rescuing the hostages and assured that the US is working with regional partners to achieve this.
- Since the beginning of Hamas’s attack, at least 4,200 people have died, including 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers, 31 Americans, and over 2,800 Palestinians.
