We misjudged hostage locations in Gaza: Israeli military
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Israeli media outlets quoted officials from the Israeli security and military establishment acknowledging that there is no "accurate estimate" of the locations of Israeli captives held by the Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip.
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Israeli captives, from left to right, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem, and Omer Wenkert are holding certificates by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on February 22, 2025. (AP)
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that following the interrogation of Israeli captives released in the first phase of the prisoner exchange deal, it became evident that "Israel" was lacking "accurate estimates" of the prisoners' locations in Gaza.
Israeli security agencies admitted that some prisoners were held in areas that had been "misjudged."
This admission came on Sunday evening following interrogations of the released captives, as reported by Israeli channel Kan 11.
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation stated that this issue confirms earlier concerns about the prisoners' risk and the limitations on military raids in Gaza before the ceasefire, emphasizing that "Israel" was unable to "precisely determine" the locations where the captives were held, or even the areas where they were not.
Last September, Kan 11 revealed that the Israeli army had presented the political leadership with a dilemma: whether to continue military operations in additional parts of Gaza, even if it increased the risk to Israeli captives.
According to the report, this debate intensified after an incident in August 2024, when six captives were killed inside a tunnel as the Israeli military carried out operations in the area.
US-Hamas talks
On Sunday, US officials accused the Israeli occupation of attempting to derail negotiations between Washington and Hamas in Doha aimed at securing the release of Israeli-American captives, Israeli media reported.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth's intelligence affairs analyst Ronen Bergman, US sources claimed that the Israeli government was not informed in advance about the latest round of negotiations, as a consequence of its obstruction of last week's round of talks.
On Saturday, Israeli media outlet i24NEWS reported, citing informed sources, that the US administration engaged in discussions with Hamas in Qatar, with Donald Trump's key message being his expectation of concrete steps before advancing to the next phase of talks.
A source familiar with the meetings stated that "Israel was informed of the discussions but not provided with all the details." According to the report, Washington has pushed for the release of Israeli-American soldier Aidan Alexander, along with other captives.
Additionally, the Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in Doha on Monday, followed by the arrival of US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday. The initial talks will focus on establishing the framework for the negotiations.
According to Israel Hayom, the Israeli delegation is anticipated to stay in Qatar for about two days, with discussions starting from the "Witkoff Plan," which "Israel" has agreed to.
