After complex rescue ops in Gaza, IDF assess some hostages may never be found

[Almost Heaven]

Recent complex military operations in the Gaza Strip to recover the bodies of slain hostages have brought the Israel Defense Forces to the understanding that there is a possibility that some of those abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7 may never be found, The Times of Israel learned on Tuesday.

The grim assessment comes as 111 of the 251 hostages seized by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, now for nearly 300 days, including the bodies of 39 confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.

Last week, during a raid in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, the IDF’s 98th Division along with the Shin Bet recovered the bodies of five hostages who were killed and then kidnapped during the onslaught nearly ten months ago.


IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said following the operation that though “we were near these bodies before, we didn’t know how to reach out [and recover them]. Now that we knew how to reach out, we did so. We brought five [slain hostages], which otherwise, it’s not certain we would have ever found them.”

The bodies had been buried inside a tunnel some 20 meters belowground in Khan Younis.

After complex rescue ops in Gaza, IDF assess some hostages may never be found

As time goes on, likelihood of obtaining intelligence on hostages increases, but their chances of survival wanes; 98th Division wraps up Khan Younis raid

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[Tall Timbers]

Loved ones of missing and dead hostages not recovered will suffer for the rest of their lives. Hamas knows this.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I wonder how effective cadaver dogs would be. They've found remains that were buried far longer, in far less controlled/confined areas, and far worse environmental conditions for detecting and locating.