what to remember from Saturday June 8

Four hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 attack on the site of the Nova electro festival were released on Saturday after an operation by the Israeli army.

The Israeli army announced, Saturday June 8, the release of four hostages in a military operation “difficult” in the center of the Gaza Strip. “You have proven that Israel does not give in to terrorism and acted with boundless creativity and courage to bring our hostages home.”reactedhe Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. “We will not give up until we have successfully completed the mission and brought all our hostages home, the living and the dead.”, he added. Franceinfo summarizes the highlights of the day.

Four hostages released and in “good health”

The four hostages were all kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 attack on the Nova electro festival site. They are Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 from the site of the Nova electro music festival , said the army. The hostages, according to the same source, are “in good health”.

Israeli police then announced the death of one of their agents during the military operation which freed four hostages in the center of the Gaza Strip. “The Israeli police and the border police announce with great sadness and sorrow the death of agent Arnon Zmora (…) who was fatally injured in the operation to return the hostages this morning to Gaza”wrote the police in a press release.

US President Joe Biden assured in Paris that the United States would continue to mobilize until “all thee be. “We will not stop working until all the hostages have returned home”did he declare. “We welcome the four hostages released today”added his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

“Resistance continues,” warns Hamas leader

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas announced a death toll of at least 210 in Israeli attacks on the Nousseirat camp, in the center of the Gaza Strip. “The number of victims of the massacre perpetrated by the Israeli occupier in the Nousseirat camp amounts to 210 martyrs and more than 400 injured”according to the press service of the Hamas government in a statement which does not mention the release of hostages.

“Our people will not surrender and the resistance will continue to defend our rights against this criminal enemy”Hamas leader Ismaïl Haniyeh, political leader of Hamas based in Qatar, said in a statement.

An agreement for a ceasefire is still awaited

Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden’s national security adviser, once again stressed the need to close the deal “currently on the table” between the parties in Gaza, which includes a ceasefire and a release of hostages. “This agreement has the full support of the United States and the support of countries around the world”notably “the 16 countries whose nationals are still detained by Hamas”, continued Jake Sullivan. The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, will travel to the Middle East next week to promote this proposed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Emmanuel Macron showed his support for “the United States’ proposed global agreement after nine months of conflict” in Gaza. “We want to achieve an immediate ceasefire and open the prospect of a political solution, the only one capable of creating the conditions for a just and lasting peacedeclared Emmanuel Macron.