An Israeli military spokesperson revealed that Hamas had embedded itself in civilian areas, making it challenging for Israeli forces to reach hostages without entering these zones. The spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, shared details after the successful rescue operation that freed four Israeli hostages. The hostages were found locked in rooms of apartments within multistory buildings.
The hostages, including Noa Argamani, were held in separate apartments, with Argamani located in a different building around 200 meters away from the other three male hostages. The Israel Defense Forces strategically chose a daytime operation to capitalize on the element of surprise. Prior to the rescue mission, Israeli forces meticulously prepared by constructing models of the targeted apartments.
During the operation, Hagari estimated that the casualties in central Gaza were 'under 100,' but he did not have specific information on the civilian versus combatant count. The IDF faced intense fire, particularly after withdrawing from the apartments, although no evidence was provided to support these claims.
According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, at least 210 individuals lost their lives, and over 400 sustained injuries during the Israeli military operation in central Gaza. However, the breakdown between civilian and combatant casualties was not specified, and the lack of international media access to the strip hindered verification of these figures.
Hagari outlined the raid's details, mentioning that the IDF initially targeted militant infrastructure in pre-planned strikes. The intelligence on the hostages' location was acquired through various sources, as hostages in Gaza are frequently relocated to different sites. Hagari also disclosed that similar rescue missions had been aborted last minute on multiple occasions due to unfavorable conditions for Israeli special forces. He noted that the remaining hostages in Gaza were not held in conditions conducive to similar operations.
