JERUSALEM

Israeli police said Saturday that a special forces officer died from injuries sustained during an operation to free four hostages in the Gaza Strip. 

“The Israel Police announce with great sorrow the death in battle of Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, commander and tactical operator in the Yamam (National Police Counter-Terrorism Unit), who was critically wounded in the successful operation to rescue hostages this morning in Gaza,” police wrote on X.

Israel said it rescued four hostages from central Gaza after a military operation.

The army identified the freed hostages as Noa Argamani, 25; Andrey Kozlov, 27; Shlomi Ziv, 40 and Almog Meir, 21.

It said the hostages were found in two separate areas, noting that they were in good health.​​​​​​​ 

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last Oct. 7 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 36,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and over 83,500 others injured, according to local health authorities

Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians had sought refuge.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala