UK Deploys Surveillance Flights in Israel-Gaza Conflict to Locate Captives Held by Hamas

The Ministry of Defence in the UK has announced that they will be conducting unarmed surveillance flights in the Middle East to locate potential Hamas hostage sites. The objective of these flights is to gather intelligence on the whereabouts of hostages. Currently, five British nationals are missing, and it is not yet known how many of them may be held by Hamas. The safety of British citizens is the top priority for the Ministry of Defence. These surveillance flights will take place over the eastern Mediterranean, including airspace over Israel and Gaza. The aircraft used will be unarmed and their sole purpose will be to locate hostages. Information related to hostage rescue will be shared with the appropriate authorities. The Royal Air Force will use the Shadow R1 aircraft, which are designed for intelligence gathering, for this operation. The data on potential hostage locations will also be shared with Israel, where it is believed that more than 130 captives are being held. The Pentagon has also confirmed that unarmed UAV drones have been deployed in Gaza to support hostage recovery efforts. The United States is working closely with Israel to provide advice and assistance in these efforts. Conflict in Gaza resumed recently after a week-long truce, with the Israeli Defense Forces hitting over 400 Hamas targets on the first day. Gaza's health ministry, controlled by Hamas, has reported that at least 193 people have been killed in the latest wave of Israeli attacks. They claim that over 15,200 people have died in the war in Gaza, which initially started due to Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in at least 1,200 deaths.