Israeli hostage father dies a day before son rescued

The father of an Israeli hostage rescued during a military operation in Gaza died a day before he was to be reunited with his son, a relative said.

Almog Meir Jan, 22, has been detained in the Gaza Strip for eight months after being kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7.

He was one of four hostages rescued Saturday in airstrikes and ground raids in central Gaza, which also left several Palestinians dead.

In the months before Almog’s release, his father Yossi’s health deteriorated and he “devoted himself exclusively to television,” his sister Dina told Israeli broadcaster Kan.

“He was worried that he (Almog) was in the hands of a killer, what was happening to him, what he was going through,” Mr Jan said.

It was reported that Yossi Yan died of a heart attack.

“My brother was so sad that he never saw his son return,” said Dina Jan.

The rescue of Almog Yan and three other hostages sparked cheers and relief in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netianhu praising the special forces for their “creative and courageous” operation.

But the humanitarian toll of the operation, which included Israeli airstrikes, has drawn criticism.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said. 274 people were killed in this operation.. If confirmed, it would be one of the deadliest days in Gaza since the conflict began.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman said the death toll was less than 100.

Qatar’s prime minister called for increased global pressure on Israel to stop its “barbaric aggression” in the Gaza Strip at a summit in Doha on Sunday.

European Union diplomat Josep Borrell condemned the killings as “yet another massacre of civilians.”

The Israeli minister said that instead of accusing Hamas of hiding behind civilians, he accused Israel of saving its citizens.

Israeli forces, supported by airstrikes, engaged in a fierce gunfight with Hamas in the Nusseyrat region. The Israel Defense Forces called it a “high-risk, complex mission” based on “accurate” intelligence.

In addition to Almog Meir Jan, hostages Noah Argamani (26), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Slomi Ziv (41) were also rescued during the operation.

Of those kidnapped last October, 116 remain in captivity. More than a third of them have already been confirmed dead, but the number is expected to be higher.

Benjamin Netanyahu visited the four hostages as they returned to hospital and told them, “We have not given up on you for a moment.”

“We expect Hamas to release them all. But if not, we will do whatever it takes to send them all home,” Netanyahu said outside the hospital.

On Sunday, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said 37,084 people had been killed since the fighting began.