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FILE PHOTO: A woman walks past a Blue and White party election campaign banner depicting its leader, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the March 23 ballot, in Tel Aviv, Israel March 14, 2021.
In a daytime raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday, Israeli special forces rescued four hostages abducted by Hamas at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7. The group included Noa Argamani, 26, one of the most widely recognized hostages, whose mother Liora is suffering from late-stage brain cancer.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 274 Palestinians were killed in the operation, which saw special forces come under “under heavy fire” and respond with aerial bombardment. One special forces officer was killed.
The Gazan civilian death toll has drawn worldwide condemnation, with EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell describing the operation as “a massacre, a bloodbath.” A day earlier, US President Joe Bidencongratulated Israel on the rescue of the hostages, but US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan later acknowledged that “innocent people were killed” during the operation.
The rescue came on the June 8 deadline set by war cabinet member Benny Gantz, who had threatened to resign unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set out a plan for a “day-after strategy” for Gaza. The rescue delayed Gantz’s announcement until Sunday night when, as expected, he quit the government and pulled the support of his centrist party.
Is a cease-fire more elusive than ever? Gantz’s resignation leaves Netanyahu more dependent on the backing of ultra-nationalist parties, who are staunchly opposed to a deal. Hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says he will now demand greater say over government decisions, including in the war cabinet — bad news for those hoping for a cease-fire. As for Hamas, its leader Ismail Haniyeh said of the hostage rescue, “If the occupation believes that it can impose its choices on us by force, then it is delusional.”