Gaza Health Ministry says that Israeli Troops on Saturday killed over 274 Palestinians to rescue four of its hostages held by Hamas in Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Central Gaza.

Gaza Health Ministry in a statement on Sunday, said nearly half of the people killed were women and children.

It would be recalled that four Israeli hostages were freed from Hamas captivity early Saturday when Israeli military transport helicopter touched down and led a unit of IDF soldiers to ensure hostage rescue operation within the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Central Gaza.

Israeli military said its forces came under heavy fire and responded during the complex daytime operation in central Gaza, adding that, Hamas hide hostages within Civilian populations.

Nuseirat, a refugee camp built up dating to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, was considered by many observers as the largest rescue operation carried out by Israeli troops  since Octobr 7, 2023 when Hamas and other militants stormed across the border, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostage.

On Monday, Gaza Ministry reported that Israel’s massive retaliating offensives have killed over 37,000 Palestinians. The Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.

Gaza Health Ministry said on Sunday that I 64 children and 57 women were killed in the latest raid, and 153 children and 161 women were among the nearly 700 wounded during the Israeli hostage rescue operations on Saturday.

There have been celebration across Israeli communities for the return of the four hostages namely: Noa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41.

The Israeli bombing was “hell,” witness Mohamed al-Habash told The Associated Press. “We saw many fighter jets flying over the area. We saw people fleeing in the streets. Women and children were screaming and crying.”

Benjamin Netanyahu in a remark on Saturday at Sheba Hospital after meeting with the rescued hostages and their families stated as reported in quote thus:

“Israel just carried out a remarkable rescue operation of four hostages held by Hamas. This operation required ingenuity and courage of the highest degree, and our soldiers performed in an unmatchable way.

We’re committed to getting the release of all the hostages, and we expect Hamas to release them all — but if they don’t, we’ll do whatever it takes to get them all back home. Hamas is committing war crimes every day, including the holding of these hostages. Our soldiers are performing in the most valiant and moral way to end this war with a victory against these killers and against these kidnappers, and we shall prevail”.

Also, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of  Government Meeting in Israel on Sunday that:

“Yesterday, in a heroic operation that will yet be talked about, the State of Israel returned home four of its hostages: Noa Argamani, Almog Meir, Andrey Kozolov and Shlomi Ziv. Welcome back home.

Congratulations to the Chief-of-Staff and the IDF, the Director of the ISA and the ISA agents, and the Police Inspector General and the officers of the special anti-terrorism unit. Our heroic fighters stormed into live fire united as one, eliminated the terrorists and freed the hostages.

Last Thursday evening, when I gave final approval to this complex and dangerous operation, I had two main considerations: First – our commitment to return home all of the hostages.

Second – the knowledge that it is possible to rely on our fighters, who are without peer in the world. The great achievement yesterday reflects the stature of the people and I must say: It reflects the stature of the supporters of Israel around the entire world.

However it also entailed great sadness: The loss of a hero of Israel, special anti-terrorism unit fighter, Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, of blessed memory.

Amir Ofer was under the command of my brother Yoni, of blessed memory, who fell in the operation to free the hostages at Entebbe in 1976. Amir was the first fighter to burst into the passenger terminal where the hostages were being held.

Here is what he wrote yesterday about Arnon: ‘Several years ago I was at a performance. An amazing young man approached me and said that he was an officer in the special anti-terrorism unit, He asked me to come to the unit and lecture on Entebbe. Of course, I agreed.’

On October 16, Amir writes, only a few days after the battles to block the enemy in the Western Negev: ‘I received a phone call from Arnon. ‘I must talk to you’ he told me.

This was Arnon’s first furlough from the fighting in Gaza since the start of the war. We spoke for two hours. He told me in great detail how he and his friends were in an encounter at Yad Mordechai Junction, how three RPGs missed them by millimeters, how his intuition to stop several kilometers before the junction and gear up saved the entire force, how they fought like lions, how they emptied all of their clips four times on the first day and went from the junction to Sderot, and from Sderot to Ofakim, and from Ofakim to Be’eri, and they were at the forefront everywhere.

Arnon told me how his heart broke at Be’eri. He constantly asked me ‘How you succeeded and we did not.’

I saw before me a true hero, an exceptional and moral person. I went home. I thought about Arnon’s story and I wrote him: ‘It took me several hours to digest your story. You were real heroes and your performance – under the most difficult conditions – was extraordinary, in strategic surprise, in tactical surprise, in combat in an area full of civilians and in being few against many.’

‘You saved the country’, Amir wrote to Arnon. ‘Your place in Heaven is already assured, and more.’

Ministers of the Government, on Simchat Torah, Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora showed exceptional heroism. Yesterday, on the eve of the giving of the Torah, he again showed supreme heroism and gave his life to save members of his people. Arnon will always be remembered in the chronicles of our people.

Similar to the Rabin government’s support for the proposal to name the operation to free the hostages at Entebbe – ‘Operation Yonatan’, after the commander of the assault force who fell in battle, I am certain that the Government will unanimously support the proposal to name the operation to free the hostages in Gaza – ‘Operation Arnon’ – after the commander of the assault force who fell in battle – hero of Israel Arnon Zamora.

Happy is the people that is blessed with its heroes. We will continue together to do our utmost to return all of the hostages, and to achieve victory over our enemies.”