DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel on Saturday carried out its largest hostage rescue operation since the latest war with Hamas began, taking four to safety out of central Gaza amid the military’s heavy air and ground assault. At least 210 dead Palestinians, including children, were brought to local hospitals, a health official said.
Israelis were jubilant as the army said it freed Noa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41, in a daytime operation in the heart of Nuseirat, raiding two locations at once while under fire. All were well, the military said. They were taken by helicopter for medical checks and tearful reunions with loved ones after 246 days held.
Argamani had been one of the most widely recognized hostages after being taken, like the three others, from a music festival. The video of her abduction showed her seated between two men on a motorcycle as she screamed, “Don’t kill me!”
Her mother, Liora, has brain cancer and had released a video pleading to see her daughter. Israel’s Channel 13 said Argamani was moved to the hospital where her mother is treated. In a message released by the government, Argamani told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu she was “very excited,” saying she hadn’t heard Hebrew in so long.
Netanyahu in a statement vowed to continue the fighting until all hostages are freed. The operation was “daring in nature, planned brilliantly, and executed in an extraordinary fashion,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
Israeli aircraft hummed overhead as the bodies of 109 Palestinians including 23 children and 11 women were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where spokesperson Khalil Degran told The Associated Press more than 100 wounded also arrived. He said that overall, 210 dead had been taken there and to Al-Awda Hospital, saying he had spoken to the director there. Al-Awda’s numbers couldn’t immediately be confirmed.
Although I don't deny that the Israeli military is generally quite reckless with civilian casualties (and this is probably purposeful to an extent), it's also true that Hamas doesn't exactly pick the most civilian-free areas to set up their base of operations either.
Like, if Hamas sets up shop in an orphanage with 100 kids inside, the IDF will bomb it to smithereens without second thought and kill all 100 just to get the 3 Hamas commanders inside, as long as none of those children were Israelis. That kind of scenario. The next day, Hamas blames Israel for killing 100 innocent children and Israel blames Hamas for endangering them in the first place.
So it's not fair to finger only one side when both parties to this conflict are so unapologetically shit and treat the rules of war like an achievements list.
IDF headquarters is in the center of a civilian area in Tel Aviv. By Israeli logic, is firing missiles at Tel Aviv a legitimate military objective? Netanyahu’s bunker is in a crowded civilian area too, why is he using human shields?
Yes, firing missiles at Tel Aviv would be a legitimate military tactic, as long as you're actually aiming for military targets and not just shooting randomly.
This is like saying that the Reich Chancellery and the Führerbunker are in Berlin and questioning whethering bombing Berlin is a legitimate tactic. Of course it is. You just have to hit actual targets.
Israel definitely has the capability to hit targets with precision. They have the best weapons in the world, courtesy of the United States. But there's been too many "oopsies, we obliterated the entire neighbourhood killing a thousand civilians" for it to be merely sloppy aim.
Still a war crime. A deal has been on the table for weeks now. A deal that would've released all the hostages with zero Palestinian casualties.
I don't disagree.