Israel rescues four hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, and 210 Palestinians are reported killed

Wafaa Shurafa, Sam Mednick and Jack Jeffery, Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel connected Saturday carried retired its largest hostage rescue cognition since nan latest warfare pinch Hamas began, taking 4 to information retired of cardinal Gaza successful a dense aerial and crushed assault. At slightest 210 Palestinians, including children, were killed, a Gaza wellness charismatic said.

Israelis were jubilant arsenic nan service said it freed Noa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41, successful a daytime cognition successful nan bosom of Nuseirat, raiding 2 locations astatine erstwhile while nether fire. All were well, nan subject said. They were taken by chopper for aesculapian checks and tearful reunions pinch loved ones aft 246 days held.

Argamani had been 1 of nan astir wide recognized hostages aft being taken, for illustration nan 3 others, from a euphony festival. The video of her abduction showed her seated betwixt 2 men connected a motorcycle arsenic she screamed, “Don’t termination me!”

Her mother, Liora, has encephalon crab and had released a video pleading to spot her daughter. Israel’s Channel 13 said Argamani was moved to nan infirmary wherever her mother is treated. In a connection released by nan government, Argamani told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu she was “very excited,” saying she hadn’t heard Hebrew successful truthful long.

Netanyahu successful a connection vowed to proceed nan fighting until each hostages are freed. The cognition was “daring successful nature, planned brilliantly, and executed successful an bonzer fashion,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.

Israeli craft hummed overhead arsenic nan bodies of 109 Palestinians including 23 children and 11 women were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, wherever spokesperson Khalil Degran told The Associated Press much than 100 wounded besides arrived. He said that overall, 210 dormant had been taken location and to Al-Awda Hospital, saying he had spoken to nan head there. Al-Awda’s numbers couldn’t instantly beryllium confirmed.

“The horrific massacre committed coming by Netanyahu and his fascist authorities against nan Palestinian group successful Gaza, which led to bulldoze of 210 and much than 400 wounded truthful acold — nether nan pretext of liberating those detained by nan guidance — confirms what nan guidance has said repeatedly: that Netanyahu doesn’t scheme to scope an statement to extremity nan warfare and free nan captured Israelis peacefully,” said Bassem Naim, a elder Hamas charismatic now based successful Lebanon.

AP reporters saw dozens of bodies brought from nan Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah areas, arsenic fume roseate successful nan region and armored vehicles rolled by.

A babe was among nan dead. Small children wailed, covered successful blood. Bodies were placed connected nan crushed outside, their feet bare, arsenic much wounded were rushed in.

“My 2 cousins were killed, and 2 different cousins were earnestly injured. They did not perpetrate immoderate sin. They were sitting astatine home,” 1 comparative said successful nan chaos. As Palestinians explored nan recently destroyed buildings, a mini kid sat connected a collapsed metallic door, overwhelmed.

Neighboring Egypt condemned “with nan strongest terms” Israel’s attacks connected nan Nuseirat exile camp, pinch its overseas ministry calling it a “flagrant usurpation of each rules of world law.” Neighboring Jordan besides condemned it.

“The bloodbath must extremity immediately,” nan European Union’s overseas argumentation main Josep Borrell said connected nan societal level X, noting reports of civilian deaths.

Israel’s subject said it had attacked “threats to our forces successful nan area,” adding that 1 commando died from his wounds.

Israel’s subject spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, told reporters that subject intelligence wished immoderate clip agone that nan hostages were being held successful 2 apartments, astir 200 meters (219 yards) distant from each other, successful nan bosom of nan Nuseirat camp. He said nan forces had trained many times connected a exemplary of nan flat buildings.

Hagari said nan forces moved successful simultaneously successful wide daylight connected some apartments, believing this ensured nan champion constituent of surprise. But he said nan rescuers came nether dense occurrence arsenic they moved out, including from gunmen firing rocket-propelled grenades from wrong nan neighborhood.

“A batch of occurrence was astir us,” he said, adding that nan subject responded pinch dense force, including from aircraft, to extract nan rescuers and freed hostages.

A U.S. hostage compartment provided proposal and support passim nan process of locating and rescuing nan hostages, according to a Biden management official, who was not authorized to remark and requested anonymity. The hostage cells are multi-agency teams.

Hamas took immoderate 250 hostages during nan Oct. 7 onslaught that killed astir 1,200 people. About half were released successful a weeklong cease-fire successful November. About 120 hostages remain, pinch 43 pronounced dead. Survivors see astir 15 women, 2 children nether 5 and 2 men successful their 80s.

Saturday’s cognition brought nan full number of rescued hostages to seven. Two were freed successful February and 1 was freed successful nan aftermath of nan October attack. Israeli troops person recovered nan bodies of astatine slightest 16 others, according to nan government.

The latest rescue lifted immoderate spirits successful Israel arsenic divisions deepen complete nan champion measurement to bring hostages home. Many Israelis impulse Netanyahu to clasp a cease-fire woody U.S. President Joe Biden announced past month, but far-right friends frighten to illness his authorities if he does.

Netanyahu, whose support has fallen, rushed to nan infirmary to shake hands nan freed hostages and his agency released a watercourse of photos and videos of him gathering nan families. But thousands of Israelis again gathered Saturday evening for nan latest anti-government objection and calls for a cease-fire agreement.

“It’s clip to salary nan value of a governmental deal. One woody that will bring them each backmost without risking soldiers,” said Omri Shtivi, whose relative Idan marked his 29th day Saturday while successful captivity.

It was unclear what effect nan rescue mightiness person connected apparently stalled cease-fire efforts. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to nan Middle East adjacent week, seeking a breakthrough.

“The hostage merchandise and cease-fire woody that is now connected nan array would unafraid nan merchandise of each nan remaining hostages together pinch information assurances for Israel and alleviation for nan guiltless civilians successful Gaza,” nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan said successful a statement.

International unit is mounting connected Israel to limit civilian bloodshed successful its warfare successful Gaza, which reached its eighth period connected Friday pinch much than 36,700 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not separate betwixt fighters and civilians.

Palestinians besides look wide hunger because fighting and Israeli restrictions person mostly trim disconnected nan travel of aid.

Meanwhile, Benny Gantz, a celebrated centrist personnel of Israel’s three-member War Cabinet who had threatened to resign from nan authorities if it didn’t adopt a caller scheme by Saturday for nan warfare successful Gaza, postponed an expected announcement. Netanyahu urged him not to measurement down.

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Mednick and Jeffery reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani successful Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s sum of nan warfare successful Gaza astatine https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Palestinians wounded successful nan Israeli bombardment of nan Gaza Strip get astatine al-Aqsa Hospital successful Deir al Balah connected Saturday, June 8, 2024. | Jehad Alshrafi, Associated Press