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Two days after an Israeli military operation rescued four hostages being held by Hamas in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, killing more than 270 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, new details are emerging about what was one of the most dramatic and deadly events since the war started.
The daytime rescue operation, which took weeks of planning, caught militants holding hostages in two different buildings in a densely packed civilian area off guard. It appeared to have been carried out by Israeli forces using non-military vehicles, including a white Mercedes van, according to eyewitnesses, whose accounts tallied with videos analyzed by CNN. Eyewitnesses also said that they saw Israeli forces in disguise – dressed as Hamas fighters or civilians.
“They were dressed in military uniforms like resistance fighters, carrying helmets and wearing signs of the [Hamas] resistance, giving the impression to people that they were resistance fighters, but in reality, they were an Israeli special forces unit,” Khalil Al Tirawi, a local resident, told CNN.
The Israeli military denied using civilian vehicles, but declined to say whether the officers conducting the rescue were disguised as militants or dressed as Palestinian civilians. The Israeli military had previously used civilian clothing as a tactic in its operations.
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