The U.S. is providing Israel with special operations planning and intelligence support to assist in rescuing hostages taken by Hamas, though this will not include deploying U.S. troops to Israel. The assistance will encompass intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, facilitated by various U.S. military commands. The initiative followed a discussion between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Key Points:
- Nature of Support: The U.S. is offering intelligence and planning support, including surveillance and reconnaissance, but will not deploy troops on the ground in Israel.
- Military Commands Involved: The support is being provided by the US Central Command, US Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations Command to help develop special operation tactics and plans.
- Hostage Situation: The exact number of hostages taken by Hamas during a cross-border attack is unknown, but it is acknowledged to be significant, including potential dual citizens and Americans.
- U.S.-Israel Coordination: The collaboration was confirmed during a call between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart, leading to an immediate initiation of support.
- Uncertainty on American Hostages: U.S. authorities are currently determining the number of Americans who have been killed or taken hostage, indicating that the situation is still fluid and unclear.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-attack-10-09-23/
