274 reported dead by Gaza health ministry after Israeli hostage rescue

Gaza's health ministry reported that 274 people were killed and 698 others were injured in the aftermath of Israel's military hostage rescue operations in Nuseirat.

Reports of heavy fire across and renewed clashes were widespread in central Gaza just one day after Israeli Special Forces entered the area Saturday in a daytime operation to free four hostages held captive by Hamas. Clashes were also reported further south near Rafah as Israeli tanks were seen advancing to the city's east.

The renewed Israeli onslaught has resulted in the highest number of single-day Palestinian casualties since the start of the conflict on October 7. Israel's armed forces has said the escalation comes as its military continued its operation on "gunmen" and "militant infrastructure."

"My child was crying, afraid of the sound of the plane firing at us," said Nuseirat resident Hadeel Radwan, "We all felt that we wouldn't survive, this brutal occupation that will not let us live."

Israel's new military furthered its encirclement of Rafah in southern Gaza. Infantry and artillery forces had already captured the city's border with Egypt and its beaches in earlier offensives in May. The IDF says its advances to the city's east are to eliminate the last bastions of Hamas' military infrastructure and fighting capabilities, citing the "numerous additional terror tunnel shafts, mortars, and (other) weapons" it believed to be in the area.

Israel's advances have displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had been seeking refuge in the city, with United Nations aid agency UNWRA having to relocate thousands.

"All UNRWA shelters in Rafah have been vacated. Many of the people who were based in Rafah have fled up the coast seeking safer locations in both Khan Younis and the middle area (of Gaza)," a statement from the organization read after having to relocate nearly 100,000 Palestinians seeking shelter from Israel's new military positions.  

According to figures from Gaza's health ministry, 37,084 Palestinians have been killed and 84,494 have suffered injuries since the start of the conflict on October 7, when Hamas' lightning cross-border attack into Israel killed around 1,200 people and seized over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. About half the hostages were freed during a brief November truce.

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