Israel’s hostage rescue: What we know, and its deadly impact

Israeli Defense Forces is under scrutiny over a daytime raid that freed four hostages but killed at least 274 people, including children, health officials said.

For Palestinians in Nuseirat refugee camp, the dramatic daytime raid that freed four Hamas hostages was over in a matter of hours — after gunfire and Hellfire missiles left bodies strewn on the streets.

But for the Israeli military, it was the end of what was apparently a longer operation: Special forces known to disguise themselves to blend into the population of Gaza had been operating in the area in the days leading up to Saturday’s surprise attack, posts on the Israel Defense Forces’ Telegram channel show.

The IDF now faces scrutiny over the trail of death and destruction left in the operation’s wake. It has released some details about how Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, Shlomi Ziv, 40, and Noa Argamani, 26 — “the diamonds” as they called them — were freed.

Israeli forces enter an apartment where hostages were being held in Gaza.via Israel PoliceWhile there was jubilation in homes and streets across Israel, there was extreme pain in Gaza, where health officials said at least 274 people, including dozens of children, were killed during the raid. The IDF put the toll at fewer than 100 people on Saturday. It has not updated that number since then.

 And the attack has forced two populations to reckon with the ongoing war, now in its ninth month, with a death toll that health officials in the enclave say has topped 37,000 and more than 100 hostages still being held in Gaza.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-hostage-rescue-what-we-know-rcna156937

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