The Israeli military reported rescuing four captives in a raid on Nuseirat in central Gaza on Saturday, conducted amid intense airstrikes and artillery fire. According to Al Jazeera, at least 210 people were killed or wounded in the attacks, as stated by Palestinian health officials. Local residents described heavy drone and air raids, resulting in civilian casualties, including children.
The Israeli army confirmed that the four captives, aged 21-40, were taken by Hamas militants during an attack on a music festival in southern Israel on October 7. They were rescued in two separate locations and are receiving medical attention. The operation resulted in the death of Israeli police commander Arnon Zamora. Abu Obaida, spokesperson for Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, reported that additional captives were killed during the rescue operation. Despite this, the operation successfully recovered four captives, bringing the total number of rescued individuals to seven since October 7.
Prior to the operation, the Israeli military estimated that 120 captives remained in Gaza, with 41 believed to be deceased. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant praised the operation as “one of the most heroic and extraordinary” in his career, noting the forces operated under heavy fire in a complex urban environment. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met the rescued captives at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, hailing the operation as “historic”. Netanyahu’s office released a video of the rescue effort. “We’re committed to getting the release of all the hostages, and we expect Hamas to release them all, but if they don’t, they’ll do whatever it takes to get them all back home,” Netanyahu said during a brief address.
Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Amman, Jordan, noted that Israeli officials failed to acknowledge the dozens of Palestinian casualties resulting from the operation. This omission is particularly striking given the Israeli government’s ban on Al Jazeera reporting from within Israel, limiting the network’s ability to cover the story on the ground. “The Israelis are simply not talking about the cost of this operation and they will not talk about it because they want to spin this as a success. Netanyahu was under tremendous amount of pressure, and the Hostages [and Missing] Families Forum is very clear that the ceasefire is the best and most sensible option to get all the captives that are still in Gaza back.”
The Gaza Ministry of Health released disturbing images of wounded patients, including children, receiving treatment in the corridors of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, following an Israeli military operation targeting alleged “terrorist” infrastructure. The Government Media Office in Gaza condemned the attack on Nuseirat refugee camp as “unprecedented and brutal”, resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries. Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, criticized the Israeli army’s celebration of rescuing four captives after nine months, calling it a “sign of failure, not an achievement”. The attack on Deir el-Balah and surrounding areas has sparked widespread concern and outrage.