Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative, criticized the hostage rescue operation carried out by Israeli security forces on Saturday morning as “appalling” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Borrell labeled the operation as “another massacre of civilians,” emphasizing the EU’s strong condemnation.
He urged Israel to halt the bloodshed promptly and endorsed the Israeli-proposed ceasefire and hostage release plan, advocated by US President Joe Biden, as the pathway to a lasting ceasefire and cessation of violence.
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari clarified that the operation was conducted amid a residential neighborhood in Nuseirat. He specified that Hamas had kept the hostages in two separate apartment blocks in that area.
The operation, executed in collaboration with the IDF, Shin Bet, and the Border Police’s National Counterterrorism unit Yamam, effectively liberated four hostages: Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir Jan, and Andrey Kozlov.