In brief
In the aftermath of the initial Hamas attacks, U.S. Special Operations teams and intelligence analysts were deployed to aid Israel in locating hostages and tracking key Hamas figures, contributing significantly to the intelligence that led to the recent killing of Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader.
Days after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, the Pentagon discreetly sent several dozen American commandos to assist Israel with hostage recovery, according to U.S. officials. The Joint Special Operations Command units quickly expanded to include intelligence officers both in Israel and at the C.I.A. headquarters in Virginia. While the American military support for Israel has prominently surfaced in discussions about the use of U.S.-made weaponry, the intelligence component has also proved vital. U.S. intelligence fostered the retrieval of four hostages rescued by Israeli forces in June and has been instrumental in searching for Hamas leadership, including Yahya Sinwar, who was recently killed in an Israeli operation.American military leaders acknowledge that although they don't claim direct credit for the mission that resulted in Sinwar's death, it is clear that their intelligence efforts aided in pinpointing his location.
