Israeli security officials admitted that they did not correctly estimate the locations in Gaza where some hostages were held, Kan News reported on Sunday evening.

The admission came after security officials questioned hostages released in recent weeks.

The knowledge provided by the released hostages proved that the IDF’s decision to refrain from operating in certain areas for fear of harming hostages was correct. IDF officials were not only unsuccessful in determining where some of the hostages were held but, no less importantly, were not fully aware of which locations were free of hostages.

In September, Kan reported that the IDF presented the political echelon with a dilemma regarding the continuation of the war—whether to continue operating in additional areas of the Gaza Strip even at the cost of endangering additional hostages.

The dilemma arose after Hamas brutally murdered six hostages in a tunnel in August, while the IDF was operating near the area.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)