After discovering the lifeless bodies of hostages abducted by Hamas militants, the Israeli military has revealed its subsequent actions. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, the military spokesman, disclosed during a briefing that the bodies were found in the Gaza Strip last week. The abduction by Hamas had initially resulted in at least 120 people being taken on October 7, with subsequent attacks causing at least 1,300 deaths in Israel.

The Israeli military, in response, conducted localized raids in Gaza and carried out air campaigns targeting Hamas. Lerner provided details of the recent operations, highlighting the discovery of hostage bodies during close-perimeter raids. The air raids targeted various Hamas facilities, causing disarray within the organization.

Lerner did not specify if a deadline was set for civilians to leave the north of Gaza ahead of a potential full-scale ground offensive. However, he emphasized the ongoing encouragement for the population to move south for safety. While the Israeli government did not demand a complete evacuation of Gaza, it urged civilians to vacate areas used by Hamas for terrorist activities.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat clarified that Israel was allowing time for civilians to leave places used by Hamas, aiming to minimize harm to non-combatants. The evacuation efforts were extended to accommodate a larger number of people needing to move to safer locations.