Hamas, 274 Palestinians killed in IDF blitz to free 4 hostages in Gaza [VIDEO]

AGI – The number of victims has risen to 274 Palestinians provoked by the blitz of the Israeli Armed Forces in Gaza to free four hostages yesterday. The injured, however, are “hundreds”. Hamas, which has government control of the Strip, made this known.

The four Israeli hostages, saved by the Israeli army in a blitz conducted by the IDF in the areas of Nuseirat, Deir al-Balah and al-Zawaideh, they are Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv, kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October while they were participating in the Supernova music festival near the community southern of Reim.

Yesterday, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the operation to rescue hostages from a Hamas hideout in Nuseirat, central Gaza, this morning was “bold” and that the four were freed by special forces “under intense fire”. “During the operation our forces were under threat and these threats were thwarted with attacks from land, air and sea,” he added.

The special forces did simultaneously raided two Hamas sites in Nuseirat. Meir Jan, Kozlov and Ziv were all together in a hideout. The hostages are all in good condition, according to initial medical assessments. They were taken to Tel Hashomer Hospital for further evaluation. During the operation, heavy air strikes were carried out in the area against Hamas sites and in support of ground troops. Hamas health authorities reported a “large number” of casualties. An Israeli counter-terrorism agent was killed. A US source told CNN that an American cell participated in the operation, which had been prepared for weeks and involved hundreds of soldiers, the secret services and a special police unit.

“Israel does not surrender to terrorism”, is the declaration of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, after the release of the 4 Israeli hostages still alive held by militants in the Gaza Strip. The security forces “have demonstrated that Israel does not surrender to terrorism and acts with creativity and courage that knows no bounds to bring our hostages home,” Netanyahu added in a statement. The Minister of the War Cabinet Benny Gantz he canceled his evening speech in which he expected he would withdraw his party’s support for the national unity government.

Who are the freed hostages?

Noa Argamani, 25 years old, it’s the girl who appears screaming in terror in a video taken by one of the kidnappers who put her on a motorbike to take her to Gaza. Her terminally ill mother had repeatedly begged to see her before she died.

Almog Meir Jan, 21 years old, he had finished his military service three months before his capture. He was also picked up from the party.

Andrey Kozlov, 27 years old, he was working as a security guard at the rave when he was caught. He is a new immigrant to Israel, where he had arrived about a year and a half ago.

Shlomi Ziv, 40, as Kozlov worked security for the desert party. He had gone to the Supernova with Aviv Eliyahu, a relative of his wife, and Jake Marlowe, a friend, both killed in the Hamas raid.

Haniyeh: “The resistance will continue”

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said “resistance will continue after deadly fighting in a central Gaza refugee camp where Israel had mounted a hostage rescue operation.” “Our people will not surrender and the resistance will continue to defend our rights in the face of this criminal enemy,” Haniyeh said.

The United States will continue to work until “all” of the hostages held by Hamas are freed, the US president said Joe Biden, at a press conference in Paris, after expressing satisfaction with the release of the four hostages. “We will not stop working until all the hostages have returned home”, declared the occupant of the White House after congratulating himself, together with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on the successful conclusion of the operation. The head of the Elysée once again urged Israel to allow humanitarian aid access to Gaza.