Times of Israel news reports that the IDF have realised that as time progresses, while the chance of acquiring intelligence on the hostages improves, their chances of survival diminish. The 98th Division has completed its raid in Khan Younis, uncovering bodies of slain hostages.
Currently, out of the 251 hostages seized by Hamas, 111 remain in Gaza, where they have been held for almost 300 days. This includes 39 confirmed dead by the IDF. Additionally, Hamas holds two Israeli civilians who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, as well as the remains of two IDF soldiers killed in 2014.
In a recent operation in Khan Younis, the IDF’s 98th Division, working with Shin Bet, recovered the bodies of five hostages who had been killed and then abducted. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi noted that, although they were close to these bodies before, it was only with new information that they were able to retrieve them. The bodies were discovered in a tunnel about 20 meters underground, hidden behind a wall. Without specific location details from a detained terrorist, their recovery would have been unlikely.
Previously, in April, the IDF recovered the body of hostage Elad Katzir, who had been kidnapped alive and later murdered by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. His body was found in the Khan Younis refugee camp, thanks to intelligence gathered during a ground operation.
The IDF continues to analyse a wealth of intelligence collected during its operations in Gaza, which may provide further leads on the hostages. However, as time goes by, while the potential for intelligence increases, the likelihood of finding the hostages alive diminishes.
