For Benyamin Netanyahu, the operation by the Israeli armed forces which yesterday morning led to the release of four hostages in Gaza will remain in the history of Israel. For the Palestinians it will be remembered as one of the bloodiest pages since October 7th. While in Tel Aviv and throughout the state of Israel joy and celebrations accompanied the return to their families of Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov and Almog Meir throughout the day – taken by Hamas militants on 7 October at the Nova music festival – and the media celebrated the “bold” blitz conducted by special units with the support of the army, navy and air force, but instead in the Nuseirat refugee camp they experienced the apocalypse. The Israeli incursion was accompanied and followed by exceptionally violent fighting and bombings in which, in addition to Hamas fighters, dozens and dozens of Palestinian civilians of all ages were killed, including numerous children. Gaza authorities reported yesterday evening 210 dead and 400 injured. Numbers not immediately verifiable, however not far from reality taking into account the firepower used by the Israeli forces.
The images transmitted by Al Jazeera and videos posted online showed scenes of death, desperation and pain in the emergency room of Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al Balah. The floor of the hospital facility was covered with dozens of injured and dead people. Among the victims were many women and children. The high number of civilian casualties is the consequence of a military operation conducted in broad daylight in densely populated areas.
«They destroyed the Nuseirat refugee camp. Innocent, unarmed civilians were bombed in their homes. I’ve never seen anything like it, dead children and body parts scattered everywhere,” Nidal Abdo, a witness, told the portal. Middle East Eye. A doctor, Musad Munir, said that «A child arrived dead with food still in his mouth… Bombs were falling on us and helicopters were flying over the hospital… People were scattered on the streets and we could not go out to help them . Most were boys and girls.” Other witnesses reported charred bodies, people covered in dust like ghosts, buildings destroyed by bombing. “It looked like a horror movie, but it was a real massacre,” commented Ziad, a paramedic.
The action had been prepared for weeks, local media and the military spokesman said, based on intelligence information. Second Sada News, the Israeli special force infiltrated the area of the Al-Awda mosque. At exactly 11 am a truck with Gaza license plates stopped near two buildings and soldiers from the Navy and the Hamam special unit. The four kidnapped were divided. In one building there was Noa Argamani – among the best known hostages because a video from October 7 shows her being taken away towards Gaza on a motorbike – the other three in a nearby building. The commandos – their commander was hit, the only Israeli loss – killed those guarding the hostages. Then, shooting their way forward, in a few moments they led Argamani and the other three to the light armored vehicles that had arrived a few minutes earlier. At that point, they tell Nuseirat, all hell broke loose. To cover the escape of the commandos and the hostages, an intense bombardment began which lasted at least an hour and involved other areas of the camp and the city of Deir al Balah and which caused the greatest number of victims. A special US unit would have participated in the operation – reported by CNN as well as by the Axios website – with functions that are not yet clear. It could have entered Gaza, the suspicion is strong, using the floating dock on the coast of the Strip built by American soldiers. «The US participation in the criminal operation conducted today demonstrates the complicit role of the American administration, its full participation in the war crimes committed in Gaza and the falsity of its positions on the humanitarian situation and its concern for the lives of civilians (Palestinians )», denounced Hamas.
“We will not stop until we complete the mission and bring all our abductees home, one way or another,” Benjamin Netanyahu said. Since yesterday the prime minister and leader of the Israeli religious right has been stronger. He dealt a blow to Hamas and at the same time to his rival Benny Gantz who last night was supposed to announce his exit from the war cabinet, further isolating the prime minister. He had to give up, for now. Netanyahu scores a point in his favour, but the real cost of this hypothetical chess game in Israel was paid by dozens and dozens of Palestinian civilians blown to pieces by bombs.
