During the visit, he received an update on military operations focused on rescuing hostages and targeting Hamas. Speaking to soldiers, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to securing the hostages’ release and reaching all of its wartime goals, praising the dedication of Israeli forces.

The statement did not reveal the specific locations Netanyahu visited or respond to Hamas’ claim that it had lost contact with the group guarding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander following an alleged airstrike.

At present, 59 hostages remain in Gaza, while close to 200 have either been released or rescued since the conflict began 18 months ago.