Intensification of military operations in Gaza may lead to death of hostages: IDF

The IDF will warn the government that it believes any expansion of the military operation in Gaza risks the lives of the hostages, The Times of Israel reports referring to Channel 13. The warning of the risk to hostages would be passed to political leaders if they ask for further maneuvers in Gaza, Channel 13 said. The network cited an unnamed senior military official who asserted that any potential hostage deal would allow the IDF to operate more freely in Gaza as needed at a later stage because the presence of captives in the Strip, and fear of them being harmed, can limit the scope and location of the army’s maneuvers. The report came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government comes under increasing public and international pressure to reach a deal with Hamas for a ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza that would include the release of hostages. Earlier this week, IDF chief Herzi Halevi visited the tunnel in Rafah where the bodies of six hostages were found over the weekend after they were executed by their Hamas captors who apparently got wind that the IDF was approaching. Autopsies showed Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi were shot to death shortly before troops located their bodies on Saturday afternoon in a tunnel in Rafah. The IDF’s policy has been not to enter areas when they have intelligence that hostages may be held. However, the intelligence apparently wasn’t strong enough regarding the Rafah tunnel in question which led the soldiers to approach the area, tipping off the Hamas lookouts, the Kan public broadcaster reported.