DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 274 Palestinians, including dozens of children, were killed, and hundreds more were wounded, in the Israeli raid that rescued four hostages held by Hamas, Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday. The Israeli military said its forces came under heavy fire during the complex daytime operation deep in central Gaza.
Scores of hostages are believed to be held in densely populated areas or inside Hamas’ labyrinth of tunnels, making rescues extremely complex and risky. A raid in February freed two hostages while leaving 74 Palestinians dead. The Israeli military said it had attacked “threats to our forces in the area,” and that a special forces officer was killed in the operation.
Inside Israel, local media have focused heavily on the Israeli toll, the hostages and military efforts with relatively little coverage of the situation for Palestinians inside Gaza.Israelis celebrated the return of Noa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41. Meir Jan’s aunt, Dina, said his father had died Friday, hours before the operation. “My brother died of grief,” she told Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.
The latest rescue has lifted spirits in Israel as divisions deepen over the best way to bring hostages home. Many Israelis urge Netanyahu to embrace a cease-fire deal U.S. President Joe Biden announced last month, but far-right allies threaten to collapse his government if he does. Hours after the rescue, thousands of Israelis again gathered to protest the government and call for a deal.
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