A former Israeli military official suggested that Hamas may have moved the hostages to Egypt at some point during the conflict via tunnels. During a radio interview, former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, General Matan Vilnai, stated, "Everything is possible," in response to a question about the likelihood of transferring live or even deceased hostages to the Sinai bordering Gaza.
Vilnai said, "Technically, it is possible to transfer hostages from Gaza to the Egyptian side via the Philadelphi Corridor." He added, "If Hamas thinks this is possible, they will do it," but went on to note that "Egypt has an interest in helping us... theoretically, it could happen."
He revealed that there is a document supporting this assumption and explained later about the Philadelphi Corridor by saying, "The corridor is located on the border between the Gaza Strip and Sinai, divided between Palestinian Rafah and Egyptian Rafah. Full coordination with the Egyptians is necessary, and from what I know, the actions of the Egyptians so far still present difficulties."
The effort to recover the Israeli hostages held by Hamas is considered one of the primary objectives of the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip, alongside the goal of dismantling the group and limiting its military capabilities.
