Yedioth Ahronoth: Israeli concerns over hostages’ lives in Gaza amid new operation

The Hebrew-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday morning that Israel fears a scenario in which Hamas would move Israeli hostages out of Gaza City amid crowds of Gazans relocating to the southern part of the enclave.

According to the paper, as translated by Sada News, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has instructed troops to exercise caution and not to fire on corridors that will be designated as safe for Palestinians to move from Gaza City to the south of the territory.

According to the paper, Hamas has repeated this tactic several times during the war, hiding the faces of captives to prevent them from being identified.

It noted that senior officers met with families of the Israeli captives and briefed them on an operation that will begin in Gaza City within days.

Officers presented the families with scenarios that could put their relatives’ lives at risk, particularly as the families lack information about their whereabouts, and said they prefer a partial deal to reach an agreement to bring them back.