Israeli forces rescued four hostages held by Hamas in a raid in Gaza. Palestinian officials said the raid killed more than 200 people on Saturday. This has made it one of the single bloodiest Israeli assaults of the eight-month-old war.
Battle between Israel and Hamas in central Gaza
The hostage rescue operation and an intense accompanying air assault took place in central Gaza’s al-Nuseirat. This is a densely built-up and often embattled area in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said the operation took place in the heart of a residential neighbourhood in Nuseirat where Hamas had kept the hostages in two separate apartment blocks.
Israel’s forces came under “intense fire during the assault” and responded by “firing from the air and from the street.”
“We know about under 100 (Palestinian) casualties. I don’t know how many from them are terrorists.” A police statement said an Israeli special forces commander was killed during the operation.
Israel named the rescued hostages as Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41. They were taken to hospital for medical checks and were in good health.
Israeli tallies suggest 160 hostages are remaining
They were all kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the deadly raid by Hamas-led Palestinian militants on Israeli towns and villages near Gaza on Oct. 7. There are 116 hostages left in the coastal enclave, according to Israeli tallies, including at least 40 whom Israeli authorities have declared dead in absentia.
Spokesperson for Hamas’ armed al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, said some hostages were killed during the rescue operation.
Attempts to forge a deal that would release all remaining hostages in return for a ceasefire have repeatedly failed as Israel presses its assault in Gaza. Fresh airstrikes in the southern city of Rafah hit homes later on Saturday.
With inputs from Reuters
