Gaza is tiny and watched closely by Israel. But rescuing hostages there would be a daunting task
- At least 150 Israelis and foreigners have been held hostage in Gaza since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel
- Hamas has warned it will kill a hostage every time Israel bombs civilian targets in Gaza without warning
The Hamas-run Gaza Strip is a tiny enclave, measuring 40km (25 miles) long and no more than 11km wide, surveilled continually by Israel, surrounded by its guns.
But rescuing – or even locating – more than 150 hostages hustled there by Palestinian militants who overran Israel’s southern border on Saturday will be a daunting task.
Gaza’s densely populated terrain, its network of underground tunnels and the sheer numbers of men, women and children taken captive present Israel with the most complex hostage crisis that the country has ever faced.
Mounting rescue operations in the midst of the massive Israeli bombardment of Gaza that followed the deadly Hamas rampage in southern Israel would only make an already difficult mission even more formidable.
“The situation is unprecedented,” said Gershon Baskin, who helped to negotiate the 2011 release of Staff Sergeant Gilad Schalit after more than five years of Hamas captivity. “I think Hamas was surprised at the ease it was able to take hostages. Israel was completely bewildered by everything that’s happened.”