(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In a daring and complex hostage rescue operation, US ally Israel has saved four more of the some 250 hostages abducted by the Palestinian Arab Islamist terror group Hamas in the October 7 attack, with the raid killing a significant number of terrorists.
Over the weekend, a significant Israeli military operation involving a combined air and ground assault was carried out in the central part of the Gaza Strip, specifically Nuseirat, aiming to rescue four hostages held by Hamas, The Hill reports.
This operation, one of the most extensive since the onset of hostilities with Hamas last October, was reported by the Associated Press to have involved the Israel Defense Forces and two additional units.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is operated by Hamas reported on Sunday that the assault resulted in at least 274 fatalities and nearly 700 injuries.
The ongoing conflict has led to over 37,000 deaths in Gaza due to Israel’s retaliatory measures, according to Hamas health officials.
It is understood that Hamas still detains over 100 hostages within the Gaza Strip, with suspicions that more than 30 of these individuals are deceased.
During a surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, more than 250 individuals were abducted from southern Israel, resulting in the massacre of over 1,400 Israelis and foreigners.
A temporary truce last November facilitated the release of about 100 hostages.
President Joe Biden acknowledged the liberation of four hostages on Saturday, affirming the U.S. commitment to ensuring the safe return of all hostages and striving for a cease-fire agreement. Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Adviser, disclosed on Sunday that U.S. forces participated in the Saturday operation. However, when questioned on CNN’s “State of the Union” regarding the casualties, Sullivan expressed that the U.S. could not confirm the exact figures though it was evident that innocent lives were tragically lost.
“The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has put out another number. But we do know this…innocent people were tragically killed in this operation. The exact number we don’t know, but innocent people were killed. And that is heartbreaking. That is tragic,” Sullivan said.
Further, in an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Sullivan urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire and hostage release proposal transmitted through Qatar.
“If Hamas would say yes to that deal, there would be a cease-fire in place, hostages would be coming home, more humanitarian aid would be surging in, and a better day for the Palestinian people would be- would begin to unfold,” Sullivan said.
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