Gaza is tiny and watched closely by Israel. But rescuing hostages there would be a daunting task
By AMY TEIBEL
Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Hamas-run Gaza Strip is a tiny enclave, measuring 25 miles long and no more than 7 miles wide. It is surveilled continually by Israel, and surrounded by its guns. But locating and rescuing dozens of hostages seized by Palestinian miltiants who infiltrated Israel will be a daunting task. Gaza’s densely populated terrain, network of underground tunnels, and the sheer numbers of people taken captive present Israel with the most complex hostage crisis it’s ever faced. Conducting rescue operations in the midst of Israel’s massive bombardment of Gaza would make an already difficult mission even more formidable.