IDF sources have acknowledged that a return to war in Gaza could endanger the remaining 59 hostages, despite the military force that helped rescue some hostages in November 2023. There have been incidents where hostages were mistakenly killed by the IDF or by Hamas in response to the IDF's presence. The new Gaza invasion plans, which involve a rapid conquest of all parts of Gaza, will make it more difficult for the IDF to track the hostages and avoid hitting them. The decision to return to war is seen as a way to eliminate Hamas's military power rather than solely rescuing the hostages.