Gaza Strip. Four of the hostages captured by Hamas on October 7, prior to the Nova Festival, are freed in an operation by the IDF, Israeli intelligence agency Aman, and Israeli police force Yamam in Nuseirat. Numerous Palestinians lose their lives: Hamas estimates are 236. The hostages were held captive in civilian homes in central Gaza. The freed hostages are Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41. They are taken to the American floating humanitarian aid bridge recently assembled by the US Navy and evacuated by helicopter. The rescue was conducted in broad daylight, under heavy enemy fire, in two separate buildings in Nuseirat, central Gaza. Many people, including children, were killed and injured in the area where the operation took place due to crowding. Hamas claims more than 200 Palestinians have died, but the figures are not from medical sources. News of the rescues was announced over a loudspeaker on Israeli beaches and cheered in the streets of Tel Aviv. Gazans seized the opportunity, following the release of the hostages in Nuseirat, to level rare criticism at Hamas. Some vented anger and frustration, while others rushed to the group’s defense. Hassan Omar, 37, lamented the needless loss of life in Israeli attacks. “For every Israeli hostage, they could have freed 80 Palestinian prisoners and without any bloodshed—[which] is a million times better than having hundreds of deaths.” “We should get rid of those who control us from hotels in Qatar.” Since the beginning of the conflict, triggered by Hamas’s invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, Palestinian casualties in Gaza have numbered over 35,000 (UN source based on Hamas estimates), 54% of whom are women or children.
