Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), told Newsmax on Monday that Israel believes Hamas is sending some of the more prominent hostages to other terror organizations in an effort to prevent their being discovered.
"We have, I think, a good understanding," Conricus said during an appearance on Newsmax's "The Record with Greta Van Susteren." "Not knowledge, and it is not definite. I think we have good assessments of where they [the hostages] are. We understand that Hamas has, in an effort to minimize its exposure and to hedge itself, has also sent some of the more high-profile families away to other organizations. … We think that they're doing that in order to hedge and not be exposed to, or to be less exposed to, any of our countermeasures, but I think we have a good understanding of where people are, and hopefully, all of them will be released without the use of violence and force."
Hours before their cease-fire was set to expire on Monday, Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the pause for two additional days, according to The Associated Press. In the fourth swap under the original four-day truce, 11 Israeli women and children were freed by Hamas and entered Israel on Monday night, while 33 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived in the West Bank town of Ramallah early Tuesday.
According to the AP, Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released by the Palestinian militant group.
When asked if there was a pause with terror group Hezbollah, on Israel's north, and the Houthis in Yemen, Conricus said, "You'd be surprised, but actually, there is."
"Even though the understanding and the framework was agreed upon only with Hamas, but there apparently is some invisible link that connects all of these Iranian proxies and, for the last four days, we have seen a significant drop in attacks from Lebanon, from Yemen and, of course, from Gaza," he said.
As for the Palestinians released by Israel, Conricus said "they have gone back to their homes," mostly in "Judea and Samaria – what some people around the world call the West Bank – some from eastern Jerusalem. I am not aware of any of those coming from Gaza."
Conricus said that he has noticed "an overwhelming majority of Hamas flags" at events where "these criminals and terrorists have been released and returned back."
"Hamas is claiming a PR [public relations] victory over the Palestinian Authority, and you can see that it unfortunately, sadly, enjoys significant support on the Palestinian streets in Judea and Samaria," he added.
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE -- See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.