Following reports that the IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi prevented a mission to rescue hostages at Shifa Hospital at the beginning of the war, an IDF spokesperson clarified on Tuesday evening that the claims are false and baseless.
"It was an operational idea that lacked feasibility both operationally and intelligence-wise, as there was no information about the presence of hostages in the hospital. If such information had existed, the plan would have progressed toward implementation. The operation as presented would have led to the killing of hostages and compromised the safety of our forces," stated the IDF.
"The Chief of Staff instructed the forces to continue holding the plan for a sea raid on Shifa Hospital in case intelligence was received that would allow for the plan's implementation, which did not happen.
Denying rescue concealment
“The claims that the Chief of Staff concealed a hostage rescue operation from the political echelon are false and completely unfounded.” Furthermore, according to the statement, when opportunities with sufficient intelligence to allow for operational planning of rescue of hostages, Chief of Staff Halevi was “presented in detail in hundreds of hours to the Chief of Staff, and when it was ready for execution, it was approved and presented to the political echelon.”
The IDF stated, “The Chief of Staff approved hostage rescue operations while taking responsible risks, and when operational conditions allowed for it."
The unusual statement from the IDF spokesperson comes after reports were published on Tuesday quoting a new book titled "The Boss" by Ido Norden, an officer who served in "The Pit" at the Kirya and had access to real-time information.
In his book, Norden claimed that a major operation to rescue hostages was planned by the IDF in the first week of the war, but Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi decided not to execute it.