Palestinians killed during Israel hostage rescue operation

At least 210 Palestinians, including children, were killed in Israel’s latest hostage rescue operation, which freed four Israeli hostages, according to Gaza health officials.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Police and the Israel Securities Authority rescued Noah Al-Ghamani, 25, Armon Meir Yang, 21, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, the IDF said in a joint statement.

The special operation carried out heavy air and ground strikes on two locations in Nuseira, central Gaza. The IDF said all four hostages were kidnapped from the Nova music festival.

The bodies of 109 Palestinians, including 23 children and 11 women, were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, spokesman Khalil Dehglan said. He told the Associated Press More than 100 wounded also arrived at the hospital. The spokesman added that the rest of the 210 Palestinians who died had been taken to Al-Awda hospital after he spoke with its director, although the number there could not be confirmed by The Associated Press.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are released, but Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official now based in Lebanon, took a very different tone.

“The horrific massacre perpetrated today by Netanyahu and his fascist regime against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – which has killed 210 people and injured more than 400 so far in the name of freeing those held by the resistance – confirms what the resistance has repeatedly said: that Netanyahu has no intention of ending the war and reaching an agreement to peacefully release Israeli captives,” Naim told The Associated Press.

The hostage rescue and subsequent Palestinian deaths came amid intense international pressure and criticism over the civilian death toll, and questions about whether Israel was doing enough to prevent the deaths.

The United Nations added Israel to its “blacklist” on Friday for human rights violations against children. Progressive Democrats continue to denounce Israel’s actions, with some vowing not to attend future addresses by Netanyahu to joint sessions of parliament.