Four hostages have been rescued in an Israeli operation that took weeks of planning – but killed scores of Palestinians in Gaza and left behind a trail of devastation. At least 274 Palestinians were killed in the operation and hundreds injured, Gazan authorities said, who do not distinguish between civilian and military casualties.
While there has been euphoria for the families of the four rescued – Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv, eight months after they were kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7 – celebrations could be brief.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains under intense pressure, with his goal of destroying Hamas and rescuing the remaining hostages still distant. He has refused to sign up to the latest peace plan, presented by US President Joe Biden last week, and the toll among Palestinians continues to rise.
Unusually, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opted for a daytime raid on the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza on Saturday – saying that it allowed them a greater element of surprise. As part of their preparations, the military built models of the apartments the hostages were held in after receiving intelligence regarding their location. (CNN)
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