Five Options on the Table if Hamas Declines to Return Hostages’ Remains
Hamas now faces a difficult decision: either comply with Israeli demands to return the bodies of hostages or face potential escalation on both military and diplomatic fronts.
According to the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post, Tel Aviv is currently evaluating five possible courses of action should Hamas refuse to hand over the remains of captives still held in Gaza.
Israeli security sources outlined these five options as follows:
- Expanding operational control.
- Targeted military escalation.
- Recovery operations for hostage remains.
- Diplomatic pressure.
- Suspension of existing agreements.
The first option, according to the report, involves launching operations to expand Israel’s control over key areas, thereby increasing military presence throughout the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army, it noted, is already deployed along the borders, targeting and destroying Hamas infrastructure, including its network of tunnels.
The second option entails further military escalation inside Gaza, focusing on Hamas operatives and field commanders. More aggressive measures could include the resumption of targeted assassinations against senior Hamas leaders who, according to Israeli assessments, no longer enjoy the same level of protection.
The third option centers on using Israeli intelligence to locate and recover the bodies of hostages through coordinated air and ground operations involving special units.
A fourth path under consideration is to intensify diplomatic pressure — particularly through the United States — to push mediating countries such as Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to ensure the return of all remains. Sources suggest that such efforts could pave the way for a harsher Israeli response, including the closure of border crossings and reductions in humanitarian aid and energy supplies to Gaza.
The fifth and final option involves canceling all existing agreements and understandings with Hamas, effectively leading to the resumption of widespread fighting across the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials express growing concern that Hamas may be using the bodies of deceased hostages as a bargaining tool. According to the report, Hamas is believed to be misleading Red Cross teams by directing them to unrelated locations while being fully aware of the actual burial sites.
Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement on October 10, mediated by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, following two years of conflict. On Monday, Israel announced that its security forces in Gaza had received the remains of one hostage from the Red Cross as part of that agreement, leaving 12 bodies still in Hamas’ possession out of a total of 28.
