The IDF has released new details surrounding the successful recovery of the bodies of six Israeli hostages from the southern Gaza Strip, noting that it was the fastest such operation of the ongoing war. Military sources noted that the mission highlighted the IDF’s growing ability to quickly establish control over previously contested areas in Gaza. The operation unfolded on Sunday when the IDF’s 98th Division increased operations in the Khan Younis area. By early Monday, the division had secured “operational control” over a neighborhood suspected of harboring the remains of the hostages. Despite not knowing the exact location of the bodies, the IDF acted on relatively precise intelligence, which identified a key tunnel where the hostages were believed to be held. Within 24 hours, IDF combat engineers located a 10-meter-deep tunnel shaft that led to a larger underground network. Teams from the elite Yahalom unit uncovered indications of the hostages’ whereabouts. During the overnight hours between Monday and Tuesday, the bodies were recovered, marking the fastest retrieval of hostages’ remains to date. Hamas terorrists had hidden the remains inside a tunnel system behind a false wall in an attempt to evade discovery. Despite these efforts, the IDF, in coordination with the Shin Bet security agency, successfully breached the tunnel’s false wall, blast doors, and other barriers. Alongside the bodies, the troops discovered weapons, explosives, and other equipment linked to Hamas operatives. The recovery mission was conducted after IDF troops engaged in intense combat in the area. In the course of the fighting, they neutralized several gunmen and secured surrounding buildings. Some Hamas terrorists who had been guarding the tunnel fled the scene, while others were killed during the clashes with Israeli forces. Weapons were found on several dead operatives within a few hundred meters of the tunnel, suggesting they were guarding the area. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)