Carrying out on its largest rescue operation since its war on Gaza, Israel on Saturday freed four hostages from central Gaza in 🧜a heavy air and ground assault. Meanwhile, a health official said that at least 210 Palestinians, including children, were killed.
The🌊 rescued hostages -- Noa Argamani (26), Almog Meir Jan (22), Andrey Kozlov (27) and Shlomi Ziv (41) -- were taken for medical checks following their release after 246 day🌸s in captivity.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, vowed to continue fighting till all the hostages are freed. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that their troops' operation was "daring in nature, planned bril🐼liantly, and executed in an extraordinary fashion".
LATEST ON ISRAEL'S WAR ON GAZA
Colombia Will Suspend Coal Exports To Israel
Colombian President Gus💯tavo Petro on Saturday announced that his country will suspend coal exports to Israel over the war in Gaza, as th💧eir relations between the two nations, once close military and commercial allies, turned sour.
Taking to X, Petro said tha🐎t the coal exports will resume only "when the genocide" in✨ Gaza stops.
A draft decree shared by the Colombian President said that the coal exports will resume only if Israel complies with the recent order from the International Court Justice, asking it to "immediately halt" its oꩵperations in Rafah, in the Gaza s🍸trip.
As per Colombia's National Statistics Department, coal exports to Israel were over USD 320 million in tജhe first eight months of last year, which is a small fraction of the nation's overalꦓl coal exports worth over USD 9 billion in 2023.
Elected to office in 2022 as Colombia's first leftist president, Petro broke diplomatic ties with Israel in May, saying that he could not maintain rꦓelations with the Netanyahu's "genocidal" gov𝔍ernment.
Aid Delivered To Gaza Via Repaired US-Built Pier
A US of♏ficial on Saturday said that urgently needed aid was delivered into Gaza via the newly repaired America☂n-built pier.
The pier, constructed by the American military, was only operational for 🐬about a week before it was blown apart in high winds and heavy seas on May 25.
The damaged section was repaired on𓆉 Friday after unde෴rgoing repairs at an Israeli port. The official said that about 1.1 million pounds of humanitarian aid was delivered to Gaza via the pier.
The pier brings back the only one way to get desperately needed food and other emergency supplied to Palestinians trapped by the eight month-long Ga♎za war.
Israel Rescues 4 Hostages From Central Gaza
Israel on🎃 Saturday rescued four hostages from central Gaza, in what was its largest hostage rescue operation since its war on Gaza began.
The army said that it freed, Noa Argamani (26), Almo𝐆g Meir Jan (22), Andrey Kozlov (27) a♑nd Shlomi Ziv (41), in a daytime operation in the heart of Nuseirat.
All four of them were well and taken for medical checks by helicopter🐼, where they also met their loved ones after being held for 246 days.
According𒐪 to The Associated Press, Argamani had been one of the most recognised hostages after being taken from a music festival. A purported video of her abduction als🍨o showed her screaming "Don't kill me!"
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called the operation to be "dar💝ing in nature, planned brilliantly and executed in an extraordinary fashion".
Israel's military said it had attacked “threats to our forces in the area,” addin💫g that one commando died from his wounds.
Notably, Saturday's operat𝔉ion brought the tota꧟l number of rescued hostages to seven. Two were freed earlier in February, while one was freed in the aftermath of the October attack.
Support From US Hostage Cell
Israeli military spokesman, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, said that the intelligence had determined that hostages were being hel♏d in two apartments, just about 200 meters away from each other.
He said the forces moved in broad daylight, however, rescuers came under heavy fire as they moved out. “A lot of fire was around us,” he said, adding that the milita♚ry respo𝐆nded with heavy force, including from aircraft, to extract the rescuers and freed hostages.
A Biden administration official, meanwhile, said that🧔 a US hostage cell provided advice and support to Israel, throughout the process of locating and rescuing hostages. The hostage cells are multi-agency teams.
Amid the joy of the freed hostages, several Israelis urged Netanyahu to welcome a cease-fire deal which was announced by US President Joe Biden last month. However, the 𝓀far-right allies have threatened to cause his government to collapse if he does so.
210 Palestinians Killed, Say Gaza Health Officials
Following Israel's heavy air and ground assault amid its hostage rescue 🍰operation, a Gaza heal🥀th official said that at least 210 Palestinians, including children, were killed.
Spokesperson Khalil Digran told AP that the bodies of 109 Palestiniaꦆns, including 23 children and 11 women were taken to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
Digran said that overall, 210 ♒dead were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs and Al-Awda Hospital. The latter could however not confirm the exact numbers.
“The horrific massacre committed today by Netanyahu and his fascist gover꧟nment against the Palestinian people in Gaza, which led to slaughter of 210 and more than 400 wounded so far — under the pretext of liberating those detained by the resist✤ance — confirms what the resistance has said repeatedly: that Netanyahu doesn't plan to reach an agreement to stop the war and free the captured Israelis peacefully,” said Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official now based in Lebanon.
One of the relatives of the d🔯eceased iꦚn the Nuseirat refugee camp said, "My two cousins were killed, and two other cousins were seriously injured. They did not commit any sin. They were sitting at home."
Neighbouring Egypt condemned Israel' attack "with the strongest terms", with its foreign ministry terming it to be a "flagrant violation of ♔all rules of international law".
European Union's foreign policy c🧸hief Josep Borrell also said that the "bloodbath must end immediately".
Recap On Israel's War On Gaza
Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7🌺, 2023, killing over 1,100 people and taking some 250 hostages. About 120 hostages remain, with 43 confirmed dead.
In response, Israel launched a military campaig💖n in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 36,000 Palestinians, according to health officials.
Survivors include around 15 women, two children u🐼nder the age 🔯of 5 and two men in their 80s.
Notably𝕴, the top UN Court -- Intern💛ational Court of Justice -- in its recent order, directed Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.
ICJ's ruling was made in response to an emer🍷gency request by South Africa💟, which argued that Israel's actions in Rafah were causing a humanitarian crisis and threatening the lives of thousands of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Spain also said that it will join South Africa's genocide 🅠case again𒁃st Israel.
(With agency inputs)
