Clarifications from US SOCOM on Reports of American Soldiers in Gaza Operations
A spokesperson for the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) stated that reports claiming American soldiers took part in ground operations in the Gaza Strip are false. This denial was reported by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti and echoed by U.S. officials who emphasized that the claims do not reflect verified or official actions by American forces.
Earlier, Tasnim News Agency, an Iranian source, cited an unnamed source alleging that about five thousand American troops participated in a night operation against Gaza. SOCOM’s spokesperson described those assertions as misinformation and stressed that there is no corroborated evidence to support such figures or involvement.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel asserted that all efforts would be made to secure the release of hostages taken during the conflict. He indicated that applying pressure on Hamas is intended to increase the chances that captives can return home, a goal repeatedly stated by Israeli leadership amid ongoing hostilities.
On October 7, Hamas launched a large-scale salvo of rockets into Israel and announced the initiation of a broader campaign known as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Reports describe militants crossing into Israeli territory, seizing military equipment, and taking a substantial number of hostages. In response, Israel declared a state of war and mobilized its security forces to confront the threat.
Israel announced that the military operation named Iron Swords targeted Hamas facilities and infrastructure. The Israeli Air Force conducted operations against numerous targets in the Gaza Strip. Concurrently, Israel’s National Security Council discussed measures to restrict essential supplies into Gaza, including water, food, electricity, and fuel, in an effort to degrade militant capabilities. On October 13, the United Nations indicated that up to 1.1 million Palestinians might need evacuation to southern Gaza within 24 hours in the context of a potential ground campaign.
Reportedly, a post on a media site in October 2023 cited comments from political figures in Israel regarding humanitarian aid and the handling of civilian hostages. One former Israeli official voiced skepticism about the sufficiency of aid deliveries relative to the scale of the hostage issue, underscoring the high stakes and intense debate surrounding crisis response measures.
Source note: account of coverage and claims can be found in analyses from various outlets, including SocialBites on the Gaza conflict, which provided a timeline and summaries of events as they unfolded during the period in question. Attribution is included as a matter of record rather than endorsement by this article.