Israel-Hamas War Day 247: What's happening in Gaza, Middle East?
The IDF said it struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon • Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate outside the White House • Hostage deal efforts remain at standstill despite rescue operation
American intelligence aided Israeli forces in Gaza hostage rescue operation
Hamas subsequently responded to the report, slamming the Biden administration for participating in Israel's effort to recover the hostages.
The US hostages cell in Israel assisted in the effort to rescue the four hostages freed from Hamas captivity on Saturday, an American official told Walla's Barak Ravid.
BREAKING: A U.S. official told me that the U.S. hostages cell in Israel supported the effort to rescue the four hostages https://t.co/o4P7ECMOiC
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) June 8, 2024
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'A hero of Israel': Counterterrorism Officer Arnon Zamora dies after rescuing hostages
Arnon Zamora was fatally wounded during the rescue operation, which brought back four hostages from Hamas captivity.
Ch.-Insp. Arnon Zamora, 36, the Yamam fighter who was wounded in Saturday's hostage rescue operation, succumbed to his wounds at the hospital, the Israel Police announced the same day.
Zamora was fatally wounded during the rescue operation that succeeded in securing the return of four hostages from Hamas captivity.
Former hostages Noa Argamani (25), Almog Meir (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40), were kidnapped from the Nova music fesitval on October 7 and spent 245 days in Hamas captivity.
Go to the full article >>EU's Josep Borrell: Israel's rescue mission 'another massacre of Gazans'
Earlier on Saturday, Borrell also sent remarks congratulating the four hostages on their release, writing on X that they are "are free and safe today."
European Union High Representative Josep Borrell called the hostage rescue operation carried out by Israeli security forces on Saturday morning "appalling" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The operation, carried out jointly by the IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police's National Counterterrorism unit Yamam, successfully rescued four hostages: Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir Jan, and Andrey Kozlov. According to Palestinian officials, over 200 Palestinians were killed during the IDF operation.
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World leaders praise IDF rescue of four hostages, call for deal
“We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home, and a ceasefire is reached; that is essential,” US President Joe Biden said during a joint press event in Paris with the French president.
World leaders lauded the IDF rescue operation that saw the return of four hostages to Israel, as they called for a cease-fire deal that would see the return of the remaining 120 captives.
“We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home, and a ceasefire is reached; that is essential,” US President Joe Biden said during a joint press event in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Go to the full article >>'Jihad of victory or martyrdom': Thousands of anti-Israel activists demonstrate at White House
Protestors have been seen burning US flags and demanding that US President Joe Biden enforce a Gaza "red line' while holding signs that read "Israel bombs, your taxes pay."
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside of the White House in Washington to demand that the United States stop sending funding to Israel and enforce a Gaza red line, a Washington Post report showed.
Banners outside the White House called for jihad and martyrdom on Saturday, footage on social media showed, while the anti-Israel activists chanted, "Al Qassam, make us proud, kill another soldier now!"
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Israeli hostage Noa Argamani rescued in time to see her terminally ill mother
Hospital CEO Ronni Gamzu said the mother's condition was "complicated and tough."
Hours after being rescued from eight months captivity in Gaza, rescued hostage Noa Argamani arrived at a hospital in Tel Aviv to see her terminally ill mother.
Argamani, 26, was one of the most recognized faces among the hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7.
Go to the full article >>Hostage deal efforts remain at standstill despite rescue operation
US push for a hostage deal stalls as Israel celebrates IDF's rescue of four captives from Gaza; diplomatic efforts continue, despite ongoing Hamas resistance.
The US push for a three-stage hostage deal appeared to remain at a standstill on Saturday, even as Israel celebrated the IDF operation that rescued four captives held in Gaza since October 7.
“We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached, that is essential,” US President Joe Biden said during a joint press event in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Go to the full article >>WATCH: IDF pounds Hezbollah as terror org. fires Falaq 2 rocket for first time
Hezbollah said on Saturday it had fired a salvo of Falaq 2 rockets at a military command center in northern Israel.
The IDF said it struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Saturday afternoon, with Lebanese media reporting two killed. According to the military, soldiers identified a Hezbollah operative in the area of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, and shortly after, an IAF aircraft struck the terrorist.
Go to the full article >>Israel-Hamas war: What you need to know
- Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza
- Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 in the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities
- 120 hostages remain in Gaza
- 43 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says