Israeli special forces free hostages from the refugee district of Nuseirat. According to Palestinian sources, many people are killed during army operations in the area.
According to the army, Israeli special forces have rescued four hostages in the center of the Gaza Strip. The people kidnapped on October 7 from the Nova music festival were freed in two operations in the refugee district of Nuseirat, the army said. They are a 25-year-old woman and three men aged 21, 27 and 40.
According to the Palestinian director of Al-Aqsa Hospital, at least 94 people were killed and another 200 injured during the Israeli rescue operation. The information could not be independently verified. When asked, the army said it was checking the reports.
Liberation after 246 days of captivity
The Hamas-controlled media office spoke of “an unprecedented, brutal attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp”. The Al-Aqsa hospital is in a catastrophic situation. According to reports, there were heavy air strikes and artillery fire in the area. Images that are said to show scenes from the hospital treating the refugees show bloodied victims, dead bodies and injured children. According to reports, complete chaos has broken out in the Al-Aqsa clinic in Deir al-Balah.
After the four hostages were freed, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “They are alive. They are doing well.” They are being medically examined and reunited with their families in the hospital. The media have already reported the happy reunion of a 25-year-old woman with her relatives.
Army: “Complex, high-risk mission”
According to the army, the hostages were rescued from two different buildings in the Gaza Strip after 246 days of captivity in a “complex, high-risk mission,” said army spokesman Hagari. The special forces, which reportedly had been preparing for the operation for weeks, were under fire during the operation.
According to Israeli police, a high-ranking official was also killed in the operation in Nuseirat.
The foreign chief of the Islamist Hamas, Ismail Haniya, described Israel’s recent operations in Gaza as a “massacre” of the Palestinians. “The enemy continues its massacre against our people, our children and women, in Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah,” Haniya said on Saturday. Israel had “failed militarily, politically and morally.” It remained unclear whether Haniya was referring directly to the news of the release of the four hostages from Hamas violence. He did not mention this directly in his statement.
Mother of a freed hostage suffers from terminal cancer
The fate of the now freed woman, who was kidnapped by terrorists on a motorcycle and cried desperately for help, has long moved Israel. Her mother is suffering from terminal cancer. The woman had repeatedly asked to be allowed to see her daughter one more time before she died. This wish will now be granted. According to the media, the day of the liberation also fell on the father’s birthday.
Freed hostage talks to Netanyahu on the phone
According to his office, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the 25-year-old. According to media reports, she was happy to be able to speak Hebrew again after such a long time. According to the hostage families’ forum, the student’s friend, who was also kidnapped, is still being held by Hamas.
According to media reports, a 27-year-old man who was freed on Saturday wrote to his girlfriend on October 7 that he was surrounded by terrorists who were firing rockets at him and other victims. He reportedly immigrated to Israel a year and a half ago.
Spontaneous cheering and applause on Israeli beach
According to a media report, spontaneous cheering and applause broke out on the beach of the coastal metropolis after a lifeguard made an announcement about the rescue operation.
“We are overjoyed to have you home,” said Israel’s Defense Minister Joav Galant, according to his office. He spoke of a “heroic operation.”
Israel’s President Yitzhak Herzog thanked the Israeli emergency services for the “impressive and courageous rescue operation.” He also called the freed young woman. On the X platform, formerly Twitter, he published a photo of the beaming woman during the short conversation. She said she was very happy to be here.
Benny Gantz, a minister in Israel’s war cabinet, said after the hostages were rescued that his “heart was full,” according to media reports. At the same time, he canceled a speech planned for the evening. He was expected to announce his party’s withdrawal from the government.
According to Israeli police, a high-ranking official was also killed in the operation in Nuseirat.
About 120 hostages still in the Gaza Strip
In the unprecedented massacre on October 7, terrorists from Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations murdered more than 1,200 people in Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive.
According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, 36,801 people have been killed and a further 83,680 injured. These figures, which do not distinguish between fighters and civilians, cannot currently be independently verified. Israel’s army is under strong international criticism for its actions in the Gaza Strip.
According to military spokesman Hagari, 120 of the more than 250 people abducted from Israel are still in the Gaza Strip. It is feared that a large number of them are no longer alive.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
