IDF soldiers were just a few meters away from where hostages were confined, Hamas reveals

Some hostages, the sources claimed, were kept in tunnels located beneath areas where Israeli forces later assembled.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Hostages held in Gaza were, in some cases, kept only a few meters away from Israel Defense Forces troops without being discovered, according to details published Saturday by Asharq Al-Awsat citing Hamas sources.

The report said captors repeatedly relocated living hostages across the Gaza Strip, shifting them between underground tunnels, apartments above ground, and other concealed sites as conditions changed.

According to the sources, the movements were carried out under tight guard and timed to avoid detection by the Israel Defense Forces.

Kan News separately cited Hamas-linked sources confirming that hostages were frequently transferred from one area to another, including from northern Gaza to the south.

At times, Israeli forces operated in close proximity, but guards either diverted the troops or rerouted the captives through alternate passages.

Some hostages, the sources claimed, were kept in tunnels located beneath areas where Israeli forces later assembled.

The accounts also addressed how the bodies of deceased hostages were handled. According to the report, remains were buried inside Hamas tunnel networks, in cemeteries, and in locations controlled by various factions where conditions allowed for preservation.

Hamas sources told the newspaper that guarding the captives posed significant logistical challenges.

They said the organization’s senior leadership, in both its political and military wings, directed operatives to devote extensive effort to safeguarding the lives of the living hostages as well as maintaining custody of the bodies of those killed.

Following October 7, Hamas’ military leadership reportedly held a series of meetings, both direct and indirect, with other terror groups that had taken hostages.

The purpose was to coordinate custody, compile information on identities and numbers, and in some cases transfer captives into the hands of Hamas or the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

After the first ceasefire, additional meetings were said to have taken place to reassess which hostages were alive or deceased and to reorganize responsibility for guarding them.

During that period, some hostages were moved into Hamas custody, which the sources described as having the most significant capability to secure them.