Israel at War: Casualties of Conflict

In this special report, Scripps News reveals the impact of weeks of war on the most vulnerable.

With the world now focused on the Israeli military's controversial air strikes and ground assault on Gaza, families of hostages are trying everything they can to keep their loved ones, who've already spent weeks in captivity, front of mind. They want no one to forget that among those held captive are dozens of innocent children.

SEE MORE: IDF executes second ground raid in Gaza ahead of expected invasion

And Scripps News learns more about a secret Israeli military unit called NILI, a Hebrew acronym for a Biblical phrase that translates to “The Eternal One of Israel Will Not Lie.” It was assembled quickly to hunt down terrorists, after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, two sources familiar with the development say.

Scripps News is told this covert unit exists inside the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency — but other agencies will share information that could lead to operations in Palestinian territories or on foreign soil, with no plans of stopping until the last Hamas leader is killed.