CNN: U.S. Military Flying Surveillance Drones Over Gaza to Locate 240+ Hostages Held by Hamas

DEAN I want to ░░░░░░░░ now to CNN s ░░░░░░░░ Liebermann who s at ░░░░░░░░ Pentagon And Oren the ░░░░░░░░ Department now confirming U ░░░░░░░░ spy drones are flying ░░░░░░░░ Gaza to help with ░░░░░░░░ hostage searches Explain how ░░░░░░░░ that is LIEBERMANN It ░░░░░░░░ part of the assets ░░░░░░░░ U S surged for ░░░░░░░░ intelligence shortly after October ░░░░░░░░ as the U S ░░░░░░░░ to help Israel in ░░░░░░░░ way it could with ░░░░░░░░ recovery We saw some ░░░░░░░░ these flight tracks on ░░░░░░░░ tracking websites In fact ░░░░░░░░ can take a look ░░░░░░░░ this graphic here which ░░░░░░░░ you many of those ░░░░░░░░ tracks focusing around southern ░░░░░░░░ there The U S ░░░░░░░░ and the officials that ░░░░░░░░ spoken with CNN say ░░░░░░░░ are simply unarmed surveillance ░░░░░░░░ they re not intended ░░░░░░░░ provide targeting information but ░░░░░░░░ s part of the ░░░░░░░░ S commitment to helping ░░░░░░░░ Israel obviously clearly aware ░░░░░░░░ what s happening in ░░░░░░░░ skies over Gaza so ░░░░░░░░ must be some sort ░░░░░░░░ coordination between Israel and ░░░░░░░░ U S on the ░░░░░░░░ themselves and then whatever ░░░░░░░░ the U S is ░░░░░░░░ to gather from these ░░░░░░░░ In a statement the ░░░░░░░░ press secretary Brigadier General ░░░░░░░░ Ryder said In support ░░░░░░░░ hostage recovery efforts the ░░░░░░░░ S is conducting unarmed ░░░░░░░░ flights over Gaza as ░░░░░░░░ as providing advice and ░░░░░░░░ to support our Israeli ░░░░░░░░ as they work on ░░░░░░░░ hostage recovery efforts Ryder ░░░░░░░░ goes on to say ░░░░░░░░ flights have been happening ░░░░░░░░ October 7th So this ░░░░░░░░ a significant asset the ░░░░░░░░ S has contributed It ░░░░░░░░ has not only more ░░░░░░░░ moving to the Middle ░░░░░░░░ but also in the ░░░░░░░░ off Israel as well ░░░░░░░░ a message to Iran ░░░░░░░░ its proxies not to ░░░░░░░░ involved here But in ░░░░░░░░ of the drones themselves ░░░░░░░░ surveillance drones trying to ░░░░░░░░ in the hostage recovery ░░░░░░░░ as Israel tries to ░░░░░░░░ now more than 240 ░░░░░░░░ in Gaza DEAN And ░░░░░░░░ also want to ask ░░░░░░░░ about the U S ░░░░░░░░ its military presence in ░░░░░░░░ region What can you ░░░░░░░░ us You kind of ░░░░░░░░ the two carrier strike ░░░░░░░░ but what more can ░░░░░░░░ tell us about the ░░░░░░░░ in the Mediterranean there ░░░░░░░░ So we now have ░░░░░░░░ images of these carrier ░░░░░░░░ groups working exercising and ░░░░░░░░ together in the eastern ░░░░░░░░ That s the USS ░░░░░░░░ D Eisenhower and the ░░░░░░░░ Gerald R Ford The ░░░░░░░░ has been in eastern ░░░░░░░░ for quite some time ░░░░░░░░ since right after the ░░░░░░░░ of the war The ░░░░░░░░ D Eisenhower known as ░░░░░░░░ Ike was on its ░░░░░░░░ there and has since ░░░░░░░░ there Again this is ░░░░░░░░ massive show of force ░░░░░░░░ carriers destroyers cruisers all ░░░░░░░░ the eastern Med It ░░░░░░░░ worth noting that the ░░░░░░░░ will soon make its ░░░░░░░░ through the Suez Canal ░░░░░░░░ the waters of U ░░░░░░░░ Central Command the waters ░░░░░░░░ the Middle East where ░░░░░░░░ will stay there still ░░░░░░░░ close to the fight ░░░░░░░░ closer to some of ░░░░░░░░ adversaries the U S ░░░░░░░░ watching very closely as ░░░░░░░░ to tell them don ░░░░░░░░ get involved DEAN Yeah ░░░░░░░░ is quite a message ░░░░░░░░ Oren Liebermann thank you ░░░░░░░░ much. Boris?”