Hamas has claimed a number of hostages were killed in an Israel Defence Forces operation in Gaza on Saturday.
A woman and three men were freed by the rescue mission and are said to be in a good medical condition.
Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were all kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th while they were attending the Nova music festival in southern Israel.
Local health officials claim more than 200 civilians were killed by Israeli forces during the operation and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an emergency United Nations Security Council session to discuss what he called a “bloody massacre”.
Reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians are appalling. We condemn this in the strongest terms.
The bloodbath must end immediately.@POTUS 3-stage plan is the way forward for an enduring ceasefire and to end the killing.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) June 8, 2024
The IDF, by contrast, has insisted there were fewer than 100 casualties during what it labelled a "high-risk, complex mission" that involved intense gun battles with Hamas.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the conflict until all hostages are freed.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to get them all back home,” he said.
“Hamas is committing war crimes every day - including in the holding of these hostages - and we shall prevail.”
No words to describe our joy.
Rescued hostage Almog Meir Jan is reunited with his friends for the first time. pic.twitter.com/ua0wppiwpT
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) June 8, 2024
The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters described the operation as a “miraculous triumph” by the IDF.
“The Israeli Government must remember its commitment to bring back all 120 hostages still held by Hamas — the living for rehabilitation, the murdered for burial,” they said.
The return of the hostages was met with jubilation in Israel and footage of joyful reunions with family and friends have been widely shared on social media.
Main image: A march in support of Israel demanding the release of the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th. Picture by: Tennessee Jones - Alamy Live News.
