International

Israeli Hostage Rescue Operation: Rising Death Toll Sparks International Concern

Head of EU Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, criticised on Sunday the "horrifying" reports of hundreds of civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli hostage rescue operation.

Meanwhile, the casualty count of the operation soared, as reported by Politico.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, under Hamas administration, over 200 Palestinians were killed in the Saturday attack, during which the Israeli army rescued four hostages in the centre of the Gaza Strip.

Borrell stated on X, "The reports from Gaza about another civilian massacre are horrifying. We strongly condemn this." He further emphasised, "The bloodshed must cease immediately."

Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian National Authority, called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the "bloody massacre in En-Nuseirat".

Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, Israeli forces have only managed to rescue seven hostages. According to the latest data, approximately 120 Israeli prisoners remain in the Gaza Strip, their status unknown.

The conflict escalation in the Middle East began after the radical Islamist movement Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and the USA, attacked Israel on October 7th. The terrorists launched a massive rocket attack on Israel, breached its territory, and perpetrated the largest civilian massacre in the history of the modern Israeli state, claiming approximately 1,200 lives.

Additionally, the militants captured around 250 hostages, taking them to the Gaza Strip. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas, launching massive attacks on this densely populated Palestinian region, led by Hamas. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted both aerial and ground operations. Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry claims over 37,000 casualties and nearly 84,500 injuries. These figures remain unverified by independent sources.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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