IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday evening that the process of returning the hostages to Israel is not completely finalized, and it will possibly take time.
"We are obligated to do everything to bring back the hostages, the elderly and the women, the men and the children. This is a complex process that is not closed and could take time," Hagari stated.
He addressed the public and asked: "The coming days may include psychological terrorism. Refrain from spreading baseless news. This is a matter of life and death."
I ask the public on the homefront to continue being alert, we can not be complacent at any stage, even if the coming days will be classified differently," he added.
In addition, he emphasized that "we have a lot of combat ahead of us, we are determined to complete the war's objectives."
The Spokesman also discussed the IDF's red line during the ceasefire: "The Chief of Staff spoke with the brigade commanders - we are currently focused on the war. We will allow for the conditions to return the hostages."
Regarding the terror tunnels under Shifa Hospital, Hagari stated: "By exposing the Shifa tunnels, we located Hamas' nerve center. We will destroy it."
Hagari noted that until now, the families of 392 fallen soldiers have been notified.