{"id":53691,"date":"2025-10-28T01:58:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T05:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/israel-weighs-five-options-if-hamas-fails-to-return-hostage-remains\/28\/10\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T01:58:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T05:58:48","slug":"israel-weighs-five-options-if-hamas-fails-to-return-hostage-remains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/israel-weighs-five-options-if-hamas-fails-to-return-hostage-remains\/28\/10\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel weighs five options if Hamas fails to return hostage remains"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Israel is working on alternative options if Hamas does not comply with demands to return the remains of hostages still in Gaza, security establishment insiders say.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Israel is working on five options in case Hamas fails to deliver on returning the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/hamas-claims-began-excavating-remains-161740700.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:hostage remains;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">hostage remains<\/a>, insiders within the Israeli security establishment said on Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In no specific order, the five options being explored are: Extending operational control, targeted escalation, hostage remains retrieval operation, diplomatic pressure, and ending existing agreements.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Extending operational control<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The first option involves Israel launching operations to expand control over key areas, increasing the percentage of the Gaza Strip with an IDF presence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Following the policies outlined by Defense Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/katz-instructs-idf-destroy-hamas-201153262.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Israel Katz;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Israel Katz<\/a>, the IDF has been active along the border, targeting and destroying Hamas infrastructure, including terror tunnels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Targeted escalation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The second option would involve further escalation of Israel\u2019s military efforts within Gaza, targeting Hamas operatives and field commanders. The IDF has already demonstrated this approach by striking a vehicle carrying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/idf-strikes-central-gaza-says-203545901.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Palestinian Islamic Jihad;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Palestinian Islamic Jihad<\/a> operatives preparing for an attack.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Palestinians seen carrying out Hamas-controlled excavations in search for remains of slain hostages in the Gaza Strip, October 27, 2025 (credit: TPS-IL)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">More aggressive steps could include a return to targeted killings of senior Hamas leadership, who no longer have human shields.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Hostage remains retrieval operations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A third option would be to utilize Israeli intelligence for retrieving the remains, employing air, ground, and land maneuvers. Although such an operation would carry a high risk for IDF personnel and could cause environmental damage, it remains a viable option to pressure Hamas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Diplomatic pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Another option Israel may employ is diplomatic pressure, particularly leveraging the US to apply influence on mediators such as Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, urging them to ensure the return of all hostages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Such measures would set the stage for Israel to shift to Phase II, including closing border crossings and reducing humanitarian aid and energy supplies to Gaza.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Termination of existing agreements<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The fifth option involves the cancellation of all agreements and understandings with Hamas, effectively leading to a resumption of intense fighting across Gaza. While this is not currently seen as a favorable option, it remains a theoretical response should all else fail.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Gunmen stand guard at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025. (credit: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN\/REUTERS)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"523\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/IIjIPY4DxSwr3NHIESyDGw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYyODtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/jerusalem_post_articles_818\/d684ec79872fc37ef9dddb73d155954d\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Gunmen stand guard at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025. (credit: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN\/REUTERS)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Hamas using hostages as bargaining chips?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">There are increasing concerns within Israeli circles that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/leaked-doc-reveals-israel-encouraged-222147344.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Hamas;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Hamas<\/a> may be using the remains of the fallen as &#8220;bargaining chips&#8221; and actively misleading Red Cross teams. Israel is contemplating several strategies in coordination with the US to ramp up pressure on Hamas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hamas is believed to be well aware of the locations where the remains are buried, while sending <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/israel-permits-hamas-locate-deceased-151732343.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Red Cross teams and Egyptian;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Red Cross teams and Egyptian<\/a> officials to areas unrelated to the real burial sites.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Meanwhile, reports indicate that Hamas is operating near the IDF\u2019s border, close to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/idf-troops-gaza-mark-ceasefire-200903823.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Yellow Line;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Yellow Line<\/a>, complicating the Israeli military\u2019s ability to respond to suspicious movements. In some instances, the IDF has even adjusted its positioning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/israel-weighs-five-options-hamas-041016058.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israel is working on alternative options if Hamas does not comply with demands to return the remains of hostages still in Gaza,<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/israel-weighs-five-options-if-hamas-fails-to-return-hostage-remains\/28\/10\/2025\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/jerusalem_post_articles_818\/5e76b5f59bce8731b750de8296d4e88a","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}