because all four hostages were rescued alive, showed the heavy cost of such operations, on top of the already soaring toll of the eight-month-longPalestinians look at the aftermath of the Israeli bombing in Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, June 8, 2024.
It said nearly 700 people were wounded in Saturday's raid. The ministry did not say how many of the casualties were women and children, but Associated Press reporters saw several being treated at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby town of Deir al-Balah in the aftermath of the raid. In Gaza, medics described scenes of horror and chaos as wounded people poured into nearby hospitals that were already struggling to treat the wounded from days of heavy Israeli strikes in the area.
Israel's military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, told reporters on Saturday that the hostages were being held in two apartments, about 200 metres away from each other, in the heart of the Nuseirat camp.Palestinians wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip arrive at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, June 8, 2024.
He said the military responded with heavy force, including from aircraft, to extract the rescuers and freed hostages."Only Israel's enemies complained about the casualties of Hamas terrorists and their accomplices," He said. Saturday's operation brought the total number of rescued hostages to seven, including one who was freed shortly after the October attack. Israeli troops have recovered the bodies of at least 16 others, according to the government.