A surprise Israeli rescue operation in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp saw 210 Palestinian civilians reportedly killed, 400 more injured, and four Israeli captives recovered on Saturday, 8 June.
Dubbed ‘Operation Arnon’ by the Israeli military, the ‘rescue operation’ initially commenced as a ground operation. During the operation, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) faced gunfire from Hamas fighters in Nuseirat, the IDF’s spokesperson said, resulting in Israel using airstrikes and on-ground missiles in the civilian-dense area.
The hostages successfully rescued by the IDF include Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41 – first taken hostage on 7 October during Israel’s annual Nova music festival.
The IDF later “acknowledged” that several of the casualties were Palestinian civilians but blamed Hamas for holding hostages in civilian zones. While Gaza health authorities reported more than 200 people had been killed, Israel said that the number was less than 100.
Egypt was quick to condemn the attack strongly, calling it a “blatant violation” of international law and human rights. The statement also held Israel legally and morally responsible for the assault.
Other Western governments and media outlets framed the focus on the rescued hostages, giving less significance to the 210 reportedly murdered Palestinians.
US President Joe Biden and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron both welcomed the news of the hostages’ return during a joint press conference, failing to highlight the deaths and urban devastation caused as a result.
Biden later highlighted that a ceasefire is essential to lasting peace and an end to bloodshed, citing his publicly-proposed three-phase plan.
Hamas has reportedly shown a positive reaction to resuming ceasefire negotiations, whereas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to reject the possibility of a ceasefire agreement until Hamas is eliminated from Gaza.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Egypt, Israel, and Qatar starting 10 June in a bid to resume negotiations and reach a resolution.
Since 7 October 2023, Israeli forces have killed 36,801 Palestinians, many of whom are children and women, and injured an additional 83,680, according to the latest data reported by the WAFA Agency.
Comment (1)
You propaganda rag!!! You are afraid of your own government. LOCALS ON THE GROUND ATTACKED THE RESCUERS INCLUDING FIRING A ROCKET AT THE RESCUE CHOPPER!!!!!!!!!!
So you are ok with keeping women hostages and raping them around the clock?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAr9oGSXgak