Wednesday , December 25 2024

274 Palestinian civilians killed in Israeli attack to free four hostages

Dayr al-Balah: At least 274 Palestinians were killed and more than 700 injured during an Israeli offensive to rescue four hostages held by Hamas, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israeli military faced heavy shelling during the day's attack inside Gaza, according to information provided by the Israeli military. The release of the four hostages was widely celebrated in Israel. About 74 Palestinians were killed during the offensive in February, in which two hostages were rescued. An Israeli military officer was also killed in the rescue operation.

The latest raid on the Nusrat Ujad camp aimed at freeing the hostages was the deadliest attack on Gaza since October 7. On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Since then, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks.

The hostages, Noa Arghamani (26), Almog Mer Zen (22), Andrey Kozlov (27) and Shlomi Zeev (41), were rescued amid heavy gunfire. The video of Arghamani's kidnapping went viral. He was picked up from a concert. After his release, he was taken to a hospital for treatment where his mother is also being treated.

On the other hand, Gaza's hospitals, already overwhelmed by previous attacks, are becoming even more burdened by the influx of new casualties. Doctors have reported cases of severe injuries and burns among the seriously injured.

According to information provided by the Israeli Army, the hostages were kept in two separate apartments in the Nusrat Camp.

The two apartments were about 200 meters away from each other. The Israeli army repeatedly trained to attack apartment models.

During the day Israeli forces simultaneously stormed two apartments, but were met with heavy gunfire and grenade attacks from surrounding apartments. The Israeli army responded with force, including air strikes, to rescue the hostages.

Israel's Foreign Ministry reacted sharply to the criticism of Israel's actions, saying that Hamas is constantly threatening our citizens. Only Israel's enemies regret the losses suffered by Hamas and its allies.

About half of the 250 hostages taken after the October 7 attack were released in the November ceasefire. 120 hostages are believed to still be held by Hamas while 43 people are reported to have been killed. The survivors include 15 women, two children under five and two adults in their 80s.