Israeli army recovers bodies of missing hostages in Gaza

New Delhi: The Israeli army has reportedly recovered the bodies of some of the Israelis who were seized by Hamas during a recent attack in the region. Israeli newspapers, Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post have reported.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a limited ground raid in Gaza, returning an unspecified number of bodies to Israeli territory while also discovering the belongings of the missing individuals.

The operation involved infantry and armoured units and resulted in the elimination of a Hamas cell that had been firing anti-tank missiles at Israeli territory, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

However, the broader context of this development presents a daunting challenge for the Israeli government. At least 120 hostages, including women, children, and the elderly, were taken by Hamas gunmen from southern Israel, and their whereabouts remain secret.

Hamas had issued a threat to execute one hostage for each Israeli airstrike that resulted in civilian casualties. This precarious situation forces the Israeli government to contemplate its next move carefully. Should it attempt an armed rescue mission, despite the inherent risks, or should it wait until Hamas is weakened by sustained airstrikes, potentially making negotiations more viable?

Political analysts closely following the conflict describe this as the most challenging hostage situation in Israel's history, underlining the gravity of the dilemma faced by the Israeli government.

Palestinian civilians will be least harmed: Israeli Army

During these developments, the Israeli army and its spokesperson, Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, have emphasised their commitment to minimising harm to Palestinian civilians. They stress that Palestinian civilians in Gaza are not their enemies and that they take measures to evacuate them to reduce risks.

The IDF maintains that it is responding to the situation and does not intend to harm civilians or their infrastructure, placing the responsibility on Hamas for the ongoing conflict.

The situation remains dire, with nearly 2,000 casualties reported by Palestinian authorities due to Israel's retaliatory airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. Over 120 civilians are being held hostage by Hamas, further complicating the crisis.

Million Palestinian civilians are on the move from north to South of Gaza

Amid the ongoing violence and airstrikes, more than a million Palestinians in the northern half of the Gaza Strip face an Israeli-imposed deadline to relocate to the south.

The United Nations has expressed concern over the potential humanitarian disaster this may create and called for Israel to ease its blockade for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State in Saudi Arabia

As the conflict continues, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has embarked on a regional tour, with Saudi Arabia being his fifth stop. Blinken aims to prevent the escalation of the conflict and seeks clear condemnation of Hamas from Arab states, as well as restraint in Israel's response.

However, the Saudi foreign ministry issued strong criticism of Israel, condemning its actions against defenceless civilians. The prospect of normalizing ties with Israel, previously under discussion, now appears uncertain, as Saudi Arabia has resumed relations with Iran earlier in the year.

Blinken's tour will also take him to Egypt, where discussions regarding humanitarian aid corridors and safe zones for civilians inside Gaza are expected to occur. He was earlier at Jordon where he met Palestinian President and Tel Aviv.