Israelis briefly breathed a collective sigh of reduction on Saturday, when the army introduced it had rescued 4 hostages who had been held in Gaza for eight months after being captured within the Oct. 7 assault led by Hamas.
The 4 hostages had been taken on the Nova music pageant on Oct. 7 and had been rescued in an operation within the city of Nuseirat in central Gaza early Saturday. The mission left scores of Palestinians, together with girls and youngsters, useless. Information of the rescue raised renewed questions concerning the destiny of those that stay in captivity and a proposed cease-fire deal.
What number of hostages are nonetheless being held in Gaza?
Roughly 120 captives stay in Gaza. The Israeli army has confirmed that no less than 30 of them have died.
Earlier this month, the Israeli army knowledgeable the households of 4 hostages that they had been useless and that their our bodies had been being held by Hamas. In Could, the army recovered the our bodies of 9 hostages, and the households of two Thai residents who had been captured had been knowledgeable that their our bodies had been nonetheless being held in Gaza.
Will Israel undertake extra rescue operations?
Dozens of proposed rescue missions haven’t gone ahead for concern the hostages or troopers would lose their lives within the course of, in accordance with Israeli protection officers.
Israeli troops have managed to rescue solely seven residing hostages in three separate army operations. In December, Israeli troops by accident fired on and killed three hostages in Gaza who had been attempting to achieve security.
How did Hamas reply to the operation?
In an announcement on social media, Abu Obaida, the army spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, accused Israel of “a fancy warfare crime” and recommended that the rescue operation had endangered the remaining hostages and would have “a destructive affect on their circumstances and lives.”
What are the households of the hostages saying?
The Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, which represents the households of the captives, held a rally in Tel-Aviv on Saturday, because it has all through the warfare. The gathering drew 1000’s to have a good time the rescue operation. However the group burdened the urgency of bringing dwelling all the remaining captives in Gaza.
“The joyous information of the return dwelling of Shlomi, Noa, Almog and Andrey to their households by way of a army operation reminds us all that, for 36 weeks, 120 hostages have been ready to return dwelling,” the group mentioned in an announcement that referred to the names of the freed captives and that pressed for the acceptance of a proposed cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that might deliver dwelling the remaining hostages.
What is occurring with the proposed cease-fire deal?
President Biden in late Could outlined a road map for a three-phase plan that might start with an instantaneous, short-term cease-fire and work towards a everlasting finish to the warfare and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Within the first part, each side would observe a six-week cease-fire, Israel would withdraw from main inhabitants facilities in Gaza and quite a few hostages can be launched, together with girls, the aged and the wounded.
Israel and Hamas would proceed to barter to achieve a everlasting cease-fire. If they’re profitable, the deal would enter part two, with the total withdrawal of Israel’s army from the enclave.
All hostages and extra Palestinian prisoners can be freed. In part three, Hamas would return the our bodies of hostages who had died, and a reconstruction interval, backed by the US, European nations and worldwide establishments, would start in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is going through competing pressures from the US and different allies to finish the warfare and from two far-right partners in his governing coalition who’ve threatened to deliver down his authorities ought to Israel comply with a deal that might finish the warfare with out eliminating Hamas.
Hamas beforehand mentioned that it was responding “positively” to the plan however had knowledgeable mediators that the group wouldn’t approve an settlement that didn’t present a path for a everlasting cease-fire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops, and a “critical and actual deal” to alternate Palestinian prisoners for hostages.
It’s not clear what impact the newest hostage rescue operation could have on deal negotiations.
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