Israel’s successful rescue operation of four hostages held by Hamas in Gaza over the weekend has sparked celebrations within Israel.
The hostages, Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv, were safely reunited with their families after being kidnapped during the October 7 attacks last year.
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Noa Argamani’s kidnapping, in particular, gained international attention when footage of her abduction at the Nova music festival was widely shared.
On today’s The Briefing, we talked to Sarah Schwartz, a human rights lawyer and executive officer of the Australian Jewish Council, to discuss a morally sound way to react to Israeli lives being saved alongside Palestinian lives being taken.
Despite the successful hostage operation, the aftermath has drawn significant backlash from the international community.
Graphic images and reports have surfaced, showing the extent of civilian casualties in Gaza.
According to Gazan authorities, over 200 Palestinians were killed during the raid, including 64 children.
“No one should be taken away from their homes or families. I can’t imagine what they’re going through. At the same time what every single Palestinian in Gaza is going through seeing, some people have hundreds of their family members who’ve been killed,” Ms Schwartz said.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in more than 37,000 Palestinian deaths, and with approximately 130 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, the international community faces difficult questions about the value of human lives on both sides.
“This shows the need for international intervention. And it really shows the need for a very long process in which there are significant changes to the structure of Israeli society.”