In the aftermath of the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel, U.S. forces moved to show support for Israel in its declared war against the group and to reaffirm the strong alliance between the two countries. Among the most notable units deployed was the Delta Force, a highly secretive elite American unit tasked with sensitive and complex missions, credited with eliminating Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
## What is Delta Force?
Delta Force, officially known as the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D), is one of the American special operations units that primarily focuses on counter-terrorism missions. It is an extremely selective and secretive unit operating under the Joint Special Operations Command, according to the military site "Military.com." Alongside U.S. Navy SEALs, Delta is considered the most highly trained special operations force in the U.S. military and the world.
Delta Force is primarily a Tier 1 counter-terrorism unit, specifically directed at capturing or killing high-value targets or dismantling terrorist cells. However, Delta Force remains highly flexible, capable of direct action missions, hostage rescue operations, and covert missions that work directly with military forces, such as the CIA, in addition to providing high-level protection services for senior American leaders during visits to war-torn countries.
Delta is operationally controlled by the Joint Special Operations Command, although it is administratively supported by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Delta Force, headquartered at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, attracts candidates from all branches of the military, including the Coast Guard and National Guard, but primarily selects members from the Army itself.
## What is the History of Delta Force?
In comparison to the military history of the United States, Delta is relatively modern. It was formed in 1977 by its first commander, Colonel Charles Beckwith. As the global threat of terrorism grew, Beckwith recognized the need for a precise offensive force within the Army after working with the British Special Air Service (SAS) in the early 1970s. Beckwith was tasked with forming the new unit, which was largely drawn from existing Special Forces groups.
According to "Military.com," the types of missions that Delta has participated in over the past few decades were classified, but some have since been declassified and publicly referenced in media reports and books written by Delta operators.
## What are Some of Its Notable Missions?
The website highlighted several missions undertaken by Delta that have since been declassified, noting that these forces have been responsible for countless hostage rescue operations around the world. Delta operatives have participated in numerous operations in the Middle East, particularly during the Gulf War, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, and during the U.S. interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, carrying out many covert operations during these conflicts.
Within a month of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Delta’s special forces helped defeat and dismantle the Taliban in Afghanistan. They also executed the Battle of Tora Bora, a massive joint engagement aimed at killing or capturing former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Delta took part in Operation Red Dawn in Iraq, which led to the location and capture of Saddam Hussein.
Delta withdrew from Iraq when U.S. forces left in 2011, but remained actively engaged in the fight against ISIS in the country, as noted by Wesley Morgan in The Washington Post in 2015. Morgan reported that Delta Force had close ties with Iraqi Kurdish fighters battling ISIS and operated in Syria, including killing high-profile ISIS leader Abu Sayyaf there in 2015.
During Operation Iron Shield amid the Benghazi attack in 2012, Delta assisted in the evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Tripoli, Libya. Delta conducted the Kayla Mueller raid, which resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The site also mentioned Delta’s involvement in Operation Eagle Claw during the hostage crisis involving American hostages in the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1980, which ended in failure due to operational errors that resulted in the deaths of eight Americans. Subsequently, a unit of Delta was sent that successfully rescued the hostages.
In an operation known as Operation Urgent Fury, Delta rescued prisoners from Grenada's Richmond Hill Prison, freeing the political prisoners held there. Delta also executed Operation Just Cause, which involved invading Panama to capture General Manuel Noriega and to protect approximately 35,000 Americans living in the country.
## Why is Delta Force Present in Israel?
Delta has a history of advising local and foreign units during crises, conducting counter-terrorism operations, and rescuing hostages, as noted by The National Interest, which emphasizes that these abilities are currently needed by Israel following the October 7 attack by Hamas.
The magazine explained that Delta will primarily advise the Israeli Defense Forces' General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, or "Sayeret Matkal," a Tier 1 unit of the Israeli military that maintains a very close relationship with Delta Force. The heightened number of Israeli hostages held by Hamas indicates that the Sayeret Matkal will require assistance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a veteran of Sayeret Matkal, and his brother Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu led the special operations unit and was killed during the famous hostage rescue at Entebbe in 1976. The initial mission for Israel, according to NBC News, is to gather reliable information on the whereabouts of the hostages, which is a challenging task given Hamas's control of densely populated Gaza, where they can move hostages and trained fighters through a maze of tunnels, high-rise buildings, wreckage, and hideouts.
An American team of experts on the ground is working with Israel to exchange intelligence and assist in the hostage crisis, according to U.S. officials. The Messenger reported that the U.S. has sent hostage rescue experts to advise the Israeli Army on the release of 150 hostages, including some Americans, taken by Hamas during the attack on Israel.
At the same time, U.S. special operations forces have been put on alert in a neighboring European country, according to two senior U.S. military officials who spoke to the magazine on the condition of anonymity due to sensitive national security issues. The sources described these soldiers as "door-kickers," who could undertake rescue efforts themselves if ordered to.
Currently, there is no indication that U.S. forces will assist in any operations on the ground in Israel, but Americans are just a few hours away by air if they need to intervene. Sources told the newspaper that the U.S. has sent advisers from the American intelligence community to bolster the American special operations team assigned to the U.S. embassy in Israel.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the U.S. has "people on the ground" who will assist Israeli authorities "with intelligence and planning" for potential operations involving hostage rescue efforts. Austin, who traveled to Brussels with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Brown for meetings with the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group, stated that the Pentagon has a "communication cell" in Israel working with Israeli special operations forces. He added that the U.S. has the ability to "quickly deploy additional resources to the region."
The newspaper noted that while officials did not specify the type of special operations forces that were put on alert, they indicated that the military unit falls under the Joint Special Operations Command. It highlighted that the two primary counter-terrorism units under Joint Special Operations Command that have historically conducted hostage rescue missions globally are the Army's Delta Force and the Navy's SEAL Team Six (Naval Special Warfare Development Group).
