© APPalestinians check the bodies of their relatives killed in an Israeli bombardment of a Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, in front of the morgue of al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip.
In a video posted on its Telegram channel Sunday, Hamas' armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said that three captives, including a US citizen, were killed during an Israeli military operation on Saturday.
The raid also resulted in the liberation of four other captives.
The operation began around 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) in the bustling market area of Nuseirat. Reports indicated that American forces, alongside Israeli occupation forces, infiltrated the camp using a truck disguised for humanitarian purposes, originating from the American floating pier.
"The bombs were raining down and turning the neighbourhood into smoke and flames," recounted Muhannad Thabet, a 35-year-old resident.
"People were screaming, young and old, women and men. Everyone wanted to flee, but the bombing was intense, and anyone who moved risked being killed due to the heavy bombardment and gunfire."
Israel's special forces, comprising troops, police, and Shin Bet operatives, conducted simultaneous raids on two buildings to extract four captives.
They faced minimal resistance at one location but encountered heavy gunfire at the other, forcing them to withdraw under attack while rescuing the captives, according to military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
Palestinian health officials condemned the "massacre," reporting over 274 people killed and 698 wounded during the raid.
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