Hamas says more than 200 killed as Israel rescues four Gaza hostages

Israel announced its forces rescued four hostages on Saturday from a Gaza refugee camp in an operation which the Hamas-run government media office said left 210 Palestinians dead and hundreds wounded.

The Israeli military said the four, who were in "good medical condition", had been kidnapped from the Nova music festival during Hamas's Oct. 7 attack that sparked war, now in its ninth month.

The same day, aid began trickling back into the devastated Gaza Strip via a rebuilt, temporary pier, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

The pier, built by the U.S. military to boost the delivery of direly needed relief supplies, was only briefly operational before it suffered storm damage at the end of May. After repairs, it was re-established on Friday.

CENTCOM said crews delivered about 492 tonnes (1.1 million pounds) of "much needed humanitarian assistance" via the pier on Saturday morning, and stressed that the facility was in no way connected to Israel's hostage rescue operation.

The Israeli military said Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were pulled out in a "complex" mission.

It released footage and images of them being extracted by helicopter and then reuniting with loved ones in emotional scenes at a Tel Aviv hospital.

In Nuseirat, where the hostages were being held, Palestinians described coming under intense bombardment and heavy gunfire.

The hostages are among seven that Israeli forces have freed alive since Palestinian militants seized 251 people in their October attack on southern Israel.

There are now 116 hostages remaining in Gaza, including 41 the army says are dead.

'Horror must stop' 

News of the freed...