Four Israeli hostages rescued over weekend

The Israel Defense Forces launched a targeted mission in central Gaza on Saturday and rescued four hostages taken by Hamas, according to IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv are alive and well back home in Israel, he said. The four spent eight months in captivity after being kidnapped from a music festival on Oct. 7. The hostages were rescued in broad daylight from two civilian buildings occupied by families, according to Lt. Col. Peter Lerner.

Hostages were being held in civilian housing? Palestinian families have hosted hostages with a guard in their homes, Lerner said. Al-Jazeera journalist Abdallah Aljamal was one of the Hamas terrorists who held hostages in his home, the IDF alleged. If civilians are supplying Hamas with amenities like food and electricity, then they are considered by Israeli forces to be actively participating in terrorist activity, Lerner said.

Over 270 Palestinians were killed during the IDF’s rescue operations, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which does not differentiate between militants and civilians. IDF forces, meanwhile, estimate fewer than 100 Palestinians were killed during the raids. White House Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a CNN interview Saturday that innocent people were killed during the mission, but he declined to say how many.

Vice President Kamala Harris expressed gratitude over the hostages’ rescue while mourning innocent lives lost in Gaza, Fox News reported. Leaders have been working to end this conflict in a way that ensures Israel’s security and ends the suffering of Palestinian people, she said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken launched another Middle-Eastern tour on Monday to continue pushing for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contesting Biden’s idea of a cease-fire agreement.