The military urged residents of the Strip to follow instructions and avoid approaching troops.

"After 738 days of captivity in Gaza, Matan, Gali, Ziv, Alon, Eitan, Omri and Guy are returning home," the Israeli army, which is already accompanying the freed hostages to be treated in a hospital, issued in a statement.

The smuggling was exposed following the arrest of an arms dealer from the Ramallah area in recent months.

Hasan Mahmoud Hasan Hussein led the attack on the Route 232 bomb shelter in Re’im and participated in the abduction of Israeli civilians.

This is "further proof of Hamas’ cynical and systematic modus operandi of exploiting civilian infrastructure as manned terror command posts,” the IDF said.

Soldiers located numerous weapons, including rifles and grenades, and also discovered an explosive device hidden among the rubble by Hamas terrorists.

Military officials detail a gradual, multi-division maneuver, estimating that 2,000 to 3,000 terrorists remain in Gaza City and 40% of civilians have been evacuated.

"The IDF strikes with an iron fist at the terror infrastructure, and IDF soldiers fight with courage to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas," said the Israeli defense minister.

The International Committee of the Red Cross chose a wing in Al-Shifa hospital "adjacent to the [Hamas] movement offices,” according to documents found by the IDF in Gaza and recently declassified.

"We promised more blows, and today we dealt another painful strike to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen," said Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Jerusalem had previously warned that the terror group's leadership abroad was not safe.

"I stand by you, and express my deep appreciation for you," the Israeli premier told IDF soldiers amid a large-scale military mobilization.

Security forces brought back the remains of Ilan Weiss of Kibbutz Be'eri and another person whose name has not been cleared for publication.

Arab sources report IDF activity near Damascus and Quneitra.

If the Lebanese army takes action to remove weapons from the hands of the Iranian terror proxy, then the IDF will engage in reciprocal measures, said the Israeli premier.

The IDF attacked power stations, fuel sites and missile bases.

"The situation has to end. It's extortion, and it has to end," the U.S. president said of hostage talks with the Hamas terrorist organization.

Since renewed operations on March 18, the IDF has killed 2,000 terrorists and struck 10,000 terror targets. Netanyahu orders accelerated timelines "for taking control of the last terrorist strongholds and for the defeat of Hamas."

The Israeli defense minister was briefed on operational plans to take control of the Hamas power center and create the conditions for ending the war.

Former Israeli defense officials say absolute Israeli determination is the key to breaking Hamas and completing the war’s aims.