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Israel rescues four hostages in raid. Gaza authorities say more than 200 dead: Live updates

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2:10 p.m. ET, June 8, 2024

Israeli military spokesman says Hamas held hostages in civilian buildings

By Benjamin Brown of CNN

An Israeli military spokesman said Hamas had made it impossible for Israeli forces to reach the hostages without entering civilian areas because the group is embedded there.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Saturday after the rescue operation in which four Israeli hostages were freed that the hostages had been locked in apartment rooms in multi-story buildings.

Hagari said they were held in two separate apartments; Noa Argamani was held in another building about 200 meters away from the three male hostages.

The Israeli forces decided to conduct a daytime operation because it would give them an element of surprise, he said. The Israeli forces had prepared for Saturday’s hostage rescue operation by building models of the apartments, the spokesman added.

Civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip: Hagari estimated the number of casualties from the operation in central Gaza at “under 100” and had no information on how many of the victims were civilians. Hagari said Israeli forces came under heavy fire, especially after they withdrew from the apartments. The spokesman did not provide any evidence for his claims.

At least 210 people were killed and more than 400 injured during the Israeli military operation in central Gaza, the government media office in Gaza said on Saturday. It did not specify how many civilians and how many fighters were among them.

CNN cannot confirm the death toll because international media does not have access to the Gaza Strip.

Details of the attack: In the first phase of the operation on Saturday, the Israeli forces targeted militant infrastructure with planned attacks, Hagari said. The Israeli forces received information about the hostages’ whereabouts through various means, Hagari said. Hostages held in Gaza are often transferred to other locations.

Hagari also told reporters that similar raids had been called off at the last minute “more than three or four times” because conditions were unfavorable for Israeli special forces. Most of the other hostages still being held in Gaza are being held in conditions that do not allow for similar operations, he said.

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