In a significant military operation, the Israeli army successfully rescued four hostages from central Gaza, marking the largest rescue mission of the ongoing conflict. The hostages, who had been held since October 7 after being kidnapped by Hamas at a music festival, were seen in army footage running towards a helicopter. Following their rescue, they were taken to a hospital for medical checks and subsequently reunited with their families, eliciting emotional responses from loved ones.

This operation occurred amidst an intense Israeli air and ground assault on the Nusrat refugee camp, which has resulted in substantial casualties, with local health officials reporting at least 210 Palestinian deaths. In a related diplomatic effort, U.S. President Joe Biden, currently on a state visit to France, pledged that the United States would work towards the release of all remaining hostages, including eight Americans.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated in Ukraine, where recent drone attacks have led to at least 28 fatalities in the partially occupied regions of Kherson and Luhansk. In response to the violence, public events in the area have been canceled as communities enter days of mourning.

In lighter news, a World War II veteran celebrated a wedding in Normandy, coinciding with D-Day commemorations. The couple, both 96 years old, received a special invitation to a state dinner hosted by President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The news also mourned the passing of former Apollo astronaut William Anders, who died in a plane crash at the age of 90. Anders is remembered for capturing one of the most iconic images of Earth during the first manned flight to orbit the moon in 1968, a photograph that became a symbol of the environmental movement.