Gaza - May 29, 2024

[Note: partially no sound]

IDF: Following the rescue of the bodies from Jabaliya, the IDF operated to dismantle the tunnel routes from which they were rescued; Commanding Officer of the 98th Division: “We are determined and ready to fight to bring everyone home"

In the last few weeks, the IDF and ISA carried out joint operations in Jabaliya to rescue the bodies of seven hostages - Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, Ron Benjamin, Yitzchak Gelernter, Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum, and Orion Hernandez - and return them to Israel for burial. All seven of the hostages were murdered during the October 7th Massacre carried out by Hamas in southern Israel, and their bodies were subsequently abducted into the Gaza Strip.

The intelligence gathering and research efforts for the two operations were conducted in the Hostage Task Force of the Intelligence Directorate (J2) alongside the ISA, the divisional intelligence unit and additional IDF units. The effort to find the hostages included gathering and analyzing intelligence indications to provide an overall intelligence assessment, which was passed on to soldiers in the field, who lead the rescue operation together with the Yahalom Combat Engineering Unit, ISA, Unit 504 and a special unit of the Intelligence Directorate (J2).

After ruling out the suspicion of additional hostages being in the area, the 98th Division operated to destroy the tunnel routes from which the bodies of the seven hostages were rescued.