American newspapers reported that the United States and Britain helped Israel recover its four detainees in Gaza yesterday, Saturday.

The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal said that teams to collect and analyze intelligence information from America and Britain remained in Israel throughout the war and provided intelligence information about the detained prisoners before the rescue operation.

American officials have claimed that their intelligence support for Israel is focused on the locations of prisoners and information about the senior leadership of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), largely because American officials “believe that the best way to convince Israel to end the war is to recover its detainees and capture or kill senior Hamas leaders.” ".

An Israeli official also claimed that the American and British teams did not participate in planning or implementing military operations to rescue the detainees, and that the Israeli rescue experts needed little support in tactical planning, and that foreign intelligence provided only some support.

Logistical support

An American official, who requested to remain anonymous, said that a team of American detainee recovery officials stationed in Israel helped the Israeli army to recover the four Israelis by providing intelligence information and other logistical support.

Speaking in Paris after his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden said that he welcomed “the safe rescue of 4 hostages who were returned to their families in Israel,” adding that they would not stop working until all detainees return to their homes and a ceasefire is reached. “This is necessary.”

The newspapers said that the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) provided information collected from drone flights over Gaza, communications intercepts and other sources about the possible location of the prisoners.

An Israeli official said that while Israel has its own intelligence, the United States and Britain were able to provide intelligence from the air and cyberspace that Israel could not collect on its own.

Other means

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan referred to US assistance to Israel, saying in a statement that Washington supports all efforts to secure the release of detainees still held by Hamas, including US citizens, through ongoing negotiations “or other means.”

Sullivan added that the ceasefire proposal, which is currently being discussed by negotiators from Hamas, Israel, Egypt, Qatar and the United States, would be the way to return the remaining detainees.

He added that the agreement to release detainees and the ceasefire proposed now will ensure the release of all remaining hostages with security guarantees for Israel and relief for civilians in Gaza.