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Israeli special forces freed four hostages held in Nuseirat, central Gaza, after Israeli attacks and airstrikes in the same area killed at least 93 Palestinians, including children, local medics said.
The rescue operation was the largest of the war, returning three men and a woman who had been kidnapped at the Nova music festival back to Israel.
They were identified as Noah Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Can, 21, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40.
As the Israelis celebrated the return of the hostages Saturday night, the Palestinians entered Gaza mourned dozens of dead or watched over loved ones at the overcrowded al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital, the only one in the area still partially functioning.
The bodies of nearly 100 Palestinians were taken to the hospital, along with more than 100 wounded, spokesman Khalil Degran told The Associated Press. The agency’s reporters also counted dozens of bodies, including that of a baby.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the Israeli attacks as a “bloody massacre” and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, condemned “in the strongest terms … reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians”.
In a post on X, he called for a ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages. “The bloodbath must end immediately,” he said.
Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed that dozens of Palestinians had been killed. He knew “under 100” casualties were reported but could not say how many were civilians, he told a briefing.
Special forces operated under heavy fire in a “complex urban environment” to carry out the rescue, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said, describing it as one of the most extraordinary operations he had seen in his decades-long military career.
Troops deployed for the attack included air force and special forces, with naval support. One team retrieving the hostages confronted militants and when a rescue vehicle got stuck called for backup, fleeing under heavy bombardment, Channel 12 television reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the raid – only the third successful military rescue of the war – was a historic achievement and proof that “Israel is not surrendering to terrorism”. One officer from the police’s counter-terrorism unit was killed in the attack.
Netanyahu has long insisted that military pressure is the best way to ensure the return of all Israelis captured on October 7.
But as the war enters its ninth month, he is under increasing international pressure to reach a ceasefire agreement and domestic pressure to secure the return of all Israelis still held in Gaza.
Seven hostages have already been freed by Israeli forces, but the majority of those who have now returned home were handed over under a temporary ceasefire agreement last November. There are still 120 Israelis in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
The families of the hostages welcomed the return of the four freed on Saturday, but said the military could not return all those still in captivity and instead called on the government to reach a ceasefire to free their loved ones.
“Hostages don’t have time. We cannot release everyone during operations and we have to reach a deal that will save lives,” said Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of hostage Yoram Metzger, 80, who was announced this week as having died in captivity.
A spokesman for Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, Hamas’ armed brigades, Abu Ubaydah, claimed that some Israeli hostages were killed during the rescue attack, without providing evidence or details.
All four freed hostages were healthy and reunited with their families after medical examinations at an Israeli hospital.
Palestinian militants kidnapped 250 people on October 7, taking the captives to Gaza.
Arghamani became one of the most high-profile Israelis abducted that day after a video recording her shouting “don’t kill me” as she was abducted by two men on a motorcycle was widely circulated after the attack.
Her mother, Liora Argamani, who has stage four cancer, said her greatest wish was to see her daughter again, and the two were reunited Saturday night at a Tel Aviv hospital.
It was Arghamani’s father’s birthday on Saturday, and he met her soon after she returned to Israeli soil. He described her release as a “gift” in a statement that also called on Israelis to join the rally for the release of other hostages.
Arghamani also spoke on the phone with Netanyahu, telling him it was good to hear Hebrew spoken again, as well as with President Isaac Herzog.
US intelligence was reportedly involved in supporting the Israeli mission, and President Joe Biden welcomed the return of the four hostages.
He pushed hard for a deal to end the war and ensure the return of all those held in Gaza, and said efforts would continue.
“We will not stop working until all the hostages come home and a truce is reached,” he said at a joint press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
He has apparently been frustrated by the Israeli government’s resistance to negotiating a ceasefire, suggesting in a recent interview that Netanyahu may be prolonging the war to protect his personal political interests.
The Israeli leader has repeatedly said the war will not end until Hamas is “destroyed” and all the hostages are at home. Hamas says it will not accept a temporary ceasefire.
Saturday’s rescue operation could give Netanyahu temporary relief from domestic pressure to reach a deal to release the hostages.
After the news broke, his political rival Benny Gantz, a member of the security cabinet, postponed a speech planned for Saturday night. He was widely expected to announce he was leaving the government after giving Netanyahu an ultimatum to draw up a long-term plan for Gaza.
Gantz will now consult with allies on whether the hostage-free operation represents a fundamental change in the course of the war and whether he should reconsider his decision to withdraw, Haaretz reported.
Netanyahu called on Gantz to stay in the government in an X post on Saturday night, saying: “This is a time for unity.”
Gantz posted an ambiguous response, saying the prime minister and his team should “take a responsible look at how we can best proceed from here”.
Additional reporting by Matan Cohen
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