Israeli special forces successfully rescued four hostages from Nuseirat, central Gaza, while simultaneous Israeli attacks and airstrikes in the area resulted in the deaths of at least 93 Palestinians, including children, according to local medical sources.
This rescue mission, the largest of the ongoing conflict, brought three men and a woman, who had been kidnapped at the Nova music festival, back to Israel.
The freed hostages were identified as Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40.
While Israelis celebrated the return of the hostages, Palestinians in Gaza mourned their losses and cared for the injured at the overcrowded al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital, the only partially functioning medical facility in the area.
The hospital received nearly 100 bodies and over 100 injured individuals, spokesperson Khalil Degran told the Associated Press.
The agency’s reporters noted dozens of bodies, including that of a baby.
Degran later stated that a total of 210 dead had been brought to al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital and al-Awda Hospital, after speaking with the director at al-Awda.
However, the figures from al-Awda couldn’t be immediately confirmed.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the Israeli attacks a “bloody massacre” and urged for an emergency UN Security Council session.
EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, condemned “in the strongest terms … reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians”.
In a post on X, he demanded a ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages, stating, “The bloodbath must end immediately.”
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari acknowledged the deaths of dozens of Palestinians, noting “under 100” casualties but could not specify the number of civilians involved.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised the special forces for operating under heavy fire in a “complex urban environment,” calling it one of the most extraordinary operations he had witnessed in his military career.
The operation, which involved air force and special forces with naval support, faced significant challenges.
Militants confronted one team extracting the hostages, necessitating backup when a rescue vehicle became stuck, allowing them to escape under heavy bombardment, Channel 12 television reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the raid, only the third successful military rescue of the war, as a historic achievement and evidence that “Israel does not surrender to terrorism.”
One officer from the counter-terrorism police unit was killed during the raid.
Netanyahu has maintained that military pressure is essential for securing the release of all Israelis captured on October 7.
However, as the war extends into its ninth month, he faces increasing international calls for a ceasefire and domestic demands to ensure the return of all Israelis held in Gaza.
So far, Israeli forces have freed seven hostages, with most of those now home released under a temporary ceasefire deal last November.
There are still 120 Israelis in Gaza, about a third of whom are presumed dead.
Families of the hostages welcomed the return of the four freed individuals but emphasized that not all captives could be rescued through military operations.
They urged the government to negotiate a ceasefire to save more lives.
Ayala Metzger, daughter-in-law of hostage Yoram Metzger, 80, who was recently reported dead in captivity, stated, “The hostages don’t have time.
We can’t free everyone in operations, and we must go for a deal that will save lives.”
A spokesperson for Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, Hamas’s armed brigades, claimed some Israeli hostages were killed during the rescue, without providing evidence or details.
The rescued hostages, all in good health, were reunited with their families after medical examinations in an Israeli hospital.
Noa Argamani, whose abduction video became widely shared, was reunited with her mother, Liora Argamani, who has stage four cancer, in a Tel Aviv hospital.
Argamani’s father, celebrating his birthday on the day of her release, called it a “gift” and urged Israelis to support the release of other hostages.
Argamani also spoke with Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, expressing relief at hearing Hebrew again.
US intelligence reportedly supported the Israeli mission, and President Joe Biden welcomed the hostages’ return.
He has been advocating for a ceasefire and the release of all captives in Gaza, stating, “We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached.”
Biden has expressed frustration with the Israeli government’s reluctance to halt the fighting, suggesting that Netanyahu may be prolonging the war for political reasons.
Netanyahu insists the war will continue until Hamas is “destroyed” and all hostages are home, while Hamas refuses to consider a temporary halt in fighting.
The rescue operation temporarily relieved Netanyahu from domestic pressure for a hostage release deal.
Political rival Benny Gantz postponed a planned speech and will reassess his decision to potentially leave the government based on the raid’s impact on the war’s course.
Netanyahu called for unity, urging Gantz to remain in the government, to which Gantz replied ambivalently, emphasizing the need for a responsible assessment of the way forward.
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