Leaders of " "Hamas" have given "standing orders" to operatives holding hostages "that if they think Israeli forces are coming, the first thing they should do is shoot the hostages". This is what Israeli officials claim to the "New York Times".
Two days after the rescue of four hostages from Nuseirat in central Gaza, the newspaper said that if other hostages had been killed on Saturday, as Hamas claimed, "it may have been due to the extremists, and not because of an Israeli airstrike." It is also noted that the Israel Defense Forces directly rejected the claim by "Hamas" that three hostages were killed by Israeli airstrikes.
It also added that the US military flew surveillance drones over Gaza to help with hostage rescue efforts almost immediately after the "Hamas" on October 7.
"At least six MQ-9 Reapers drones operated by special operations forces were involved in flying missions to search for signs of life," US officials said.
British and American drones have provided information that Israeli drones do not collect, allowing more territory to be monitored "more often and for longer periods of time".
While Israel uses ground sensors to map the vast network of tunnels of "Hamas" - something that drones cannot do, the drones' infrared radar "can detect the heat signatures of fighters or others entering or exiting tunnel entrances on the surface," the report states.
It is believed that a "small group of hostages" are kept close to the leader of "Hamas" in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and serve as human shields to prevent Israel from attacking it.
Sinwar is said to have been hiding in tunnels under Rafah for a while, but is now "probably back under Khan Younis", where he has a vast underground network. "Neither the United States nor Israel has been able to determine its exact location," a US official said.
"At the beginning of the war, some intelligence officials believed that most of the hostages were being held in tunnels," the newspaper said. This may not have been the case as "living underground proved difficult for "Hamas" commanders. and holding hostages in the apartments of the organization's supporters has proved easier.
However, as a result of Saturday's operation, "Hamas" to move more hostages into tunnels and potentially beyond the reach of commando forces.