LONDON: Sources in Israel said that the Shabak internal security agency knows where "many" of the 240 Israeli hostages are being kept -- but cannot rescue them from Hamas' clutches without risking a large number of civilian deaths among the Palestinian population, the media reported.

Locations range from "facilities such as hospitals to apartment buildings" said a source, who added that "many locations are heavily defended and even booby-trapped, designed to cause as many casualties as possible if there is a rescue attempt", Express UK reported.

"Hamas doesn't care about innocent Palestinians dying."

Israel's IDF had intended to mount rescue operations for hostages being held in Gaza.

Last month, the Sunday Express reported that British SAS soldiers who had been helping to train Israeli Special Forces were placed on standby during the October 7 attacks to use their hostage retrieval expertise to assist the IDF and Intelligence agencies if called upon to do so.

Some 240 Israelis were kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the October 7 atrocity, where Hamas terrorists raided a series of Israeli kibbutzes, homes and even a music concert, Express UK reported.

Regional expert Catherine Perez-Shakdam, research fellow as ACLS think-tanks, said: "By launching the October 7 attacks and taking hostages Hamas laid a trap which Benjamin Netanyahu, who understandably under pressure to react, walked into."

"Israel has been force to hand over many more Palestinians hostages than the number of hostages it is getting back, knowing all the while that Hamas is using the ceasefire to regroup and plan its next action.

"Despite thousands of Hamas deaths, Hamas is still running the show. It is Hamas which is deciding which names gets on the hostage list, not Israel", Express UK reported.