Tag Archives: oceania

School issues ‘expression of regret’ over anti-LGBTQ student contracts

Parents have welcomed a "statement of regret" issued by Queensland private school Citipointe Christian College over enrolment contracts students were told to sign that called homosexuality a sin and compared it to bestiality, incest and paedophilia.

The school issued the statement last night after its operator, Christian Outreach Centre, reached a settlement with the group of parents that took it to the Queensland Human Rights Commission over the contracts.

Helen Clapham-Burns, who was both a parent and teacher at the school when the contracts were issued in early 2022, and who resigned in protest of them, said the college's statement was a welcome development.

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Former Citipointe Christian College student has weighed in on the "destroying" contract condemning gender diverse and homosexual students issued by the school.

"The expression of regret says the college is committed to continuing to reviewing and strengthening its anti-discrimination policies," she said today.

"This is really important to me both as a parent and a Christian educator who strives to love in an inclusive way."

The contracts given to students contained a "declaration of faith" that included the following passage:

"We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other.

"We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity be engaged in outside such marriage.

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Protestors march as they hold signs during a rally against the Religious Discrimination Bill on February 04, 2022 in Brisbane

"We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including but not limited to; adultery, fornication, homosexual acts, bisexual acts, bestiality, incest, paedophilia, and pornography) is sinful and offensive to God and is destructive to human relationships and society.

"We believe that God created human beings as male or female."

Janina Leo's transgender daughter Amy graduated from Citipointe in 2021, only for her attendance at the school formal while wearing a dress.

Leo said engaging with the school over that was difficult and distressing, and that the contracts issued shortly after made matters worse.

"It was a very painful and distressing time, just following the formal," she said.

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"My family have been involved at the college for over 22 years so we have a long relationship with the school.

"As a result of the changes to the contract and the difficulties with Amy the previous year, I decided to withdraw my (other) two children from Citipointe Christian College.

"I believed it important to bring this issue to the Human Rights Commission in 2022 to highlight that, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, children have a right to an education… they have a right to be accepted and supported."

In its statement, Citipointe College did not apologise for the contracts, but said it regretted the "distress or concern" they caused.

"The Christian Outreach Centre and the College acknowledge, on reflection, that those statements were distressing to members and allies of the LGBTIQA+ community," the statement reads.

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Citipointe Christian College Principal Brian Mulheran.

"Christian Outreach Centre and the College recognises that all persons have a right to be treated with respect and all students deserve to feel safe and respected," it adds.

"This is consistent with our fundamental belief that all people are made in the image of God."

The expression notes that the contracts were issued by former principal Pastor Brian Mulheran, who resigned following public outrage in March 2022.

The college has also "facilitated a donation to a charity which provides assistance and training with respect to youth mental health issues, including with respect to diversity and inclusion".

Trump complains about his teleprompters at a scorching Las Vegas rally

Former President Donald Trump rallied voters in the scorching heat of Las Vegas, at points telling his supporters to ask for help if needed and appearing irritable with the teleprompters that he said were not working.

The presumptive GOP nominee's campaign hired extra medics, loading up on fans and water bottles and allowed supporters to carry umbrellas to an outdoor rally on Sunday in Las Vegas, where temperatures exceeded 37.8 degrees.

The Clark County Fire Department said most of the medical calls were related to the heat, and six people were sent to a hospital and 24 others were treated on site.

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“I don’t want anybody going on me. We need every voter. I don’t care about you. I just want your vote,” he said, adding that he was joking.

Earlier in his speech, he said the campaign would offer help to people who were feeling tired and joked that “everybody,” including the US Secret Service, was worried about the safety of the crowds and not about him.

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“They never mentioned me. I’m up here sweating like a dog,” he said. “This is hard work.”

Trump returned to Nevada, one of the top battleground states in the November election, for his second rally since he was found guilty in a hush-money scandal.

The unprecedented conviction of a former president has juiced Trump's fundraising and galvanised his supporters, but it remains to be seen whether it will sway swing voters.

Trump is scheduled to be interviewed by New York probation officials via a video conference on Monday, a required step before his July sentencing.

Temperatures in the Southwest have cooled since reaching historic highs late last week but remain above normal for this time of year and topped 38C at the rally, which took place at a park with little shade next to the airport.

Well into his speech, Trump said it was “not as bad” as he thought it would be, and said he was angrier with the teleprompters not working well, even when he used to mock President Barack Obama for relying on that device.

“I pay all this money to teleprompter people, and I’d say 20 per cent of the time, they don't work,” he said, adding he would not pay the vendor who provided the prompters.

“It's a mess.”

Campaign organisers handed out water bottles as supporters waited in line to be screened by security officers.

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Inside the venue, large misting fans, pallets of water and cooling tents were placed around the perimeter.

“This is a dry heat. This ain't nothing for Las Vegas people,” Nevada GOP Chair Michael McDonald said.

“But what it symbolises for the rest of the United States — we will walk through hell" to elect Donald Trump.

McDonald and five other Republicans have been accused of submitting certificates to Congress falsely declaring Trump the winner of Nevada’s 2020 presidential election and their trial has been pushed to next year.

Trump said the rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 to contest the election were “victims” of a “set up.”

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“They were really, more than anything else, they are victims of what happened. All they were doing is protesting a rigged election. That’s what they were doing. And then the police say, go in, go in, go in, go in,” he said.

“What a set up that was. A horrible, horrible thing.”

The conspiracy theory that the Jan 6 rioters were encouraged by law enforcement is widespread on the right but has no basis in fact.

Many of those who were at the Capitol on Jan 6 have said — proudly, publicly, repeatedly — that they did so to help the then-president.

Federal and state election officials and Trump’s own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted.

The former president’s allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed.

The campaign paid for additional EMS services to be on site in the case of emergency.

The Secret Service made an exception to allow people to bring in personal water bottles and umbrellas.

"You know what? It’s worth it,” said Camille Lombardi, a 65-year-old retired nurse from Henderson in suburban Las Vegas who was seeing Trump in person for the first time. “Too bad it wasn’t indoors, but that’s OK.”

READ MORE: Gaza's Health Ministry says 274 Palestinians killed in Israeli raid that rescued four hostages

During a Trump rally in Arizona on Thursday, the Phoenix Police Department said 11 people were transported to hospitals, treated and released for heat exhaustion.

Many of Trump’s supporters waited in line for hours and some were unable to get inside before the venue reached capacity.

The temperature reached a record 45 degrees that day.

Trump's Nevada rally, his third in the state this year, came on the tail end of a Western swing that included several high-dollar fundraisers where he was expected to rake in millions of dollars.

Democrat Hillary Clinton won Nevada in 2016 as did President Joe Biden in 2020, but Nevada was the only battleground state where Trump did better against Biden than Clinton.

In the 2022 midterms, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, was the only incumbent governor who did not win re-election.

Trump hopes his strength among working-class voters and growing interest from Latinos will push him to victory in the state.

In a play for Nevada's massive service-sector workforce, Trump said he'd seek to eliminate taxes on tips, a major source of income for food servers, bartenders and others who power glitzy Las Vegas hotels.

The Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge criticised Trump for making that promise, a measure he said the union has fought for decades.

“Relief is definitely needed for tip earners, but Nevada workers are smart enough to know the difference between real solutions and wild campaign promises from a convicted felon,” he said in a statement.

Trump's campaign announced a renewed push for Hispanic voters ahead of the event with a Latino Americans for Trump Coalition.

Four of the speakers who warmed up the crowd before Trump took the stage were Hispanic immigrants.

Sydney’s US Consulate vandalised with sledgehammer, pro-Palestine graffiti

The US Consulate in North Sydney has been vandalised with a sledgehammer and red spray paint.

Police were called to Miller Street in North Sydney about 3am today to find glass window panels of the building damaged and sprayed with graffiti.

Photos from the scene show several holes in the front window as well as inverted triangles sprayed painted in red – a symbol sometimes used by pro-Palestine activists.

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The US Consulate in Sydney has been vandalised with a sledgehammer and red paint in the early hours of this morning.

CCTV footage from outside the consulate shows a person wearing a dark-coloured hoodie with their face obscured carrying what appears to be a small sledgehammer, police said.

At a press conference this morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged for more "respectful political debate and discourse".

"It's not the Australian way. We should be able to have views – including on issues which are difficult," he said.

Police believe a small sledgehammer was used to smash the front windows of the US consulate in North Sydney this morning

Albanese said the situation in the Middle East was complex and reiterated calls to activists to "turn the heat down".

"Measures such as painting the US Consulate do nothing to advance the cause of those who have committed what is, of course, a crime to damage property," he said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the incident was a "reprehensible" criminal act.

"I don't think it's the kind of public debate the overwhelming majority of Australians want," he told reporters today.

"It's a kind of coarsening of the public debate that no one needs in Australia.

"We can make a point in this country without this sort of violent and malicious behaviour."

Police are appealing for anyone in the area about this time who saw the incident, or who has dashcam or information relevant to the investigation, to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Coles introduces purchasing limit on household staple

Coles has introduced an almost nationwide purchase limit on eggs as shortages linked to bird flu disrupt the supermarket giant's supply.

The supermarket has limited customers to two cartons each at all stores except in Western Australia, after bird flu strain outbreaks prompted chicken culls, which led to fewer eggs being laid.

"Due to a shortage of supply on eggs, we have introduced a temporary limit of two items per customer/transaction," signs across Coles supermarkets said.

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Coles has introduced a nationwide purchase limit on eggs as shortages linked to bird flu disrupts the supermarket giant's supply.

"This will help maintain availability and support as many customers as possible.

"Thank you for your patience, we apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Egg suppliers told 9News Melbourne the situation was the worst they had seen in more than 20 years.

One supplier predicted the cost of a carton of eggs could potentially triple within the next few weeks.

WA Commercial Egg Production Association president Ian Wilson has told Radio 6PR, WA farmers have enough eggs to keep supplying the state, but not enough to share.

"At the minute here in Western Australia, we're just concentrated on filling the shelves for our local markets, and I don't think there would be any spare to send to the east," he said.

9News has seen reports of shortages at Aldi and Woolworths today however the supermarkets do not intend to impose purchase limits in the immediate future.

How South Korea is responding to the North’s rubbish balloons

South Korea has resumed anti-North Korean propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts in border areas in retaliation for the North sending over 1000 balloons filled with rubbish and manure over the last couple of weeks.

The move is certain to anger Pyongyang and could trigger retaliatory military steps as tensions between the war-divided rivals rise while negotiations over the North's nuclear ambitions remain stalemated.

Hours after the South resumed loudspeaker broadcasts on Sunday, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned that the South created a "prelude to a very dangerous situation".

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North Korea launched hundreds of more trash-carrying balloons toward the South

She said South Korea would witness an unspecified "new response" from the North if it continues with the broadcasts and fails to stop civilian activists from flying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border.

"I sternly warn Seoul to immediately case its dangerous activities that would further provoke a crisis of confrontation," Kim Yo Jong said in a statement published by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency.

It came shortly after South Korea's military said it detected North Korea launching what appeared to be more rubbish-carrying balloons Sunday night.

The military did not immediately confirm the number of suspected balloons or whether any of them had already landed in the South.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the military conducted a loudspeaker broadcast on Sunday afternoon. It didn't specify the border area where it took place or what was played over the speakers.

"Whether our military conducts an additional loudspeaker broadcast is entirely dependent on North Korea's behaviour," it said.

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The South had withdrawn loudspeakers from border areas in 2018, during a brief period of engagement with the North under Seoul's previous liberal government.

At an emergency meeting led by national security director Chang Ho-jin, South Korean officials berated Pyongyang for attempting to cause "anxiety and disruption" by sending the balloons to the South and stressed that North Korea would be "solely responsible" for any future escalation of tensions.

The North said its balloon campaign came after South Korean activists sent over balloons filled with anti-North Korean leaflets, as well as USB sticks filled with popular South Korean songs and dramas.

Pyongyang is extremely sensitive to such material and fears it could demoralise frontline troops and residents and eventually weaken leader Kim Jong Un's grip on power, analysts say.

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South Korea has in the past used loudspeakers to blare anti-Pyongyang broadcasts, K-pop songs and international news across the rivals' heavily armed border.

In 2015, when South Korea restarted loudspeaker broadcasts for the first time in 11 years, North Korea fired artillery rounds across the border, prompting South Korea to return fire, according to South Korean officials. No casualties were reported.

Last week, as tensions spiked over the rubbish-carrying balloons, South Korea also suspended a 2018 agreement to reduce hostile acts along the border, allowing it to resume propaganda campaigns and possibly restart live-fire military exercises in border areas.

South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik in a meeting with top military commanders called for thorough preparation against the possibility that the North responds to the loudspeaker broadcasts with direct military action, his ministry said in a statement.

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North Korea continued to fly hundreds of balloons into South Korea over the weekend, a third such campaign since late May.

The South's military said the balloons that did land dropped rubbish, including plastic and paper waste, but no hazardous substances were discovered.

In her statement, Kim Yo Jong claimed the North used about 1400 balloons to drop 7.5 tonnes of rubbish from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

She also complained that anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets flown from South Korean activists had been discovered in border areas in recent days.

She said the North had initially planned to halt its balloon launches on Sunday but decided to send more because the South restarted loudspeaker broadcasts.

The South's military, which has mobilised chemical rapid response and explosive clearance units to retrieve the North Korean balloons and materials, alerted the public to beware of falling objects and not to touch balloons found on the ground but report them to police or military authorities.

In North Korea's previous two rounds of balloon activities, South Korean authorities discovered about 1000 balloons that were tied to vinyl bags containing manure, cigarette butts, scraps of cloth, waste batteries and waste paper.

Some were popped and scattered on roads, residential areas and schools. No highly dangerous materials were found and no major damage has been reported.

A South Korean civilian group led by North Korean defector Park Sang-hak said it launched 10 balloons on Thursday carrying 200,000 anti-North Korean leaflets, USB sticks with K-pop songs and K-dramas, and dollar bills.

South Korean media reported another activist group also flew balloons with 200,000 propaganda leaflets toward North Korea on Friday.

Kim Jong Un in recent years has waged an intensifying campaign to eliminate South Korean cultural and language influences.

In January, Kim declared the North would abandon its longstanding goal of a peaceful unification with the South and rewrite its constitution to cement the South as a permanent enemy.

Experts say Kim's efforts to reinforce the North's separate identity may be aimed at strengthening the Kim family's dynastic rule.

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King’s Birthday trading hours: What is and isn’t open

The June long weekend, better known as the King's Birthday, is here.

King Charles III's real birthday is on November 14, but in many states, the monarch's birthday is celebrated on June 10.

Western Australia and Queensland are the main outliers, celebrating the holiday in September and October, but the other states all have slightly different regulations affecting stores' opening hours.

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Here's a quick state-by-state guide on the trading hours for Australia's biggest retailers this King's Birthday long weekend.

Woolworths

NSW, ACT, Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania: All stores are open.

South Australia: All stores are closed.

BIG W

NSW, ACT, Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania: All stores are open.

South Australia: Most stores are closed. Victor Harbor, Port Augusta, Renmark, Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier stores will be open.

Coles

NSW, ACT, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania: All stores are open under normal trading hours.

South Australia: All stores are closed except Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Berri, Port Augusta, Mount Barker, Whyalla, Murray Bridge Green, Mount Gambier, Victor Harbor.

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Woolworths, Coles and Aldi signage supermarket signage.

Target

NSW, ACT, Victoria, Northern Territory and Tasmania: All stores are open with reduced trading hours.

Queensland and Western Australia: All stores are open.

South Australia: Some stores are closed including Firle, Tea Tree, Munno Para, Ingle Farm, Kurralta Park, West Lakes, Port Noarlunga, Marlon and Churchill.

Kmart

NSW, ACT, Victoria, Northern Territory and Tasmania: All stores are open with slightly reduced trading hours.

Queensland and WA: All stores are open.

South Australia: Some stores are closed including Firle, Tea Tree, Munno Para, Ingle Farm, Kurralta Park, West Lakes, Port Noarlunga, Marlon and Churchill.

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Bunnings

Bunning stores in every state and territory are open today on Monday, June 10.

Reduced trading hours apply in every state except for Western Australia and Queensland, which don't celebrate the King's Birthday in June. 

A man charged over the alleged bashing of a former bikie boss in a Bunnings carpark in Queensland will remain in custody.

Dan Murphy's

Most Dan Murphy's stores around the country open at 10am and close between 6pm and 7pm.

BWS

BWS stores in every state and territory open between 9am and 10am and close between 6pm and 7pm.

Westfield

Queensland and Western Australia: All stores are operating during normal trading hours.

NSW and ACT: All centres are open from 10am and have reduced trading hours.

SA: All Westfield shopping centres are closed.

Victoria: All Victorian centres are trading from 10am to 5pm.

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Liquorland

Stores in South Australia are closed, along with a handful of stores in NSW.

Aldi

Aldi stores have varied opening hours across the country. Potential shoppers are advised to check the Aldi store for more specific information.

Daniel Andrews, Mark McGowan recognised in King’s Birthday honour list

Former long-serving Labor premiers Daniel Andrews and Mark McGowan have been recognised in this year's King's Birthday honours list.

The duo were both appointed to the Order of Australia as Companions – the highest award in the order – and were two of 737 people on this year's honours list.

Also recognised were incoming governor-general Samantha Mostyn, Test cricket great Glenn McGrath, late former opposition leader Simon Crean, and presenter Hamish Blake.

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Daniel Andrews and Mark McGowan.

Andrews, who was Victorian premier for nine years before resigning last year, was recognised for his "eminent service to the people and Parliament of Victoria, to public health, to policy and regulatory reform, and to infrastructure development".

McGowan also called time on a highly successful career in state politics in 2023 after six years as premier. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia "for eminent service to the people and Parliament of Western Australia, to public health and education, and to international trade relations".

The two former premiers attracted both fervent support and intense criticism for their stringent approaches to lockdowns and border closures during the pandemic.

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"I would like to congratulate all those recognised in today's honours list," Governor-General David Hurley said.

"Some names are well-known, but the vast majority are not – they are people who work tirelessly and selflessly to make a difference in our community."

"Through today's recognition we shine a light on their efforts, the impact they have and the difference they make. 

"On behalf of all Australians, I thank recipients for their service and congratulate them on their recognition.

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Today's is the last honours list Hurley will oversee, and his replacement, businesswoman Samantha Mostyn, was among the recipients for a wide range of achievements, ranging from social justice and gender equity to reconciliation and environmental sustainability.

Former federal Labor leader and union figure Simon Crean, who died last year, was also made a Companion of the Order of Australia.

He held a seat in federal parliament for more than 20 years, serving in the cabinet of prime ministers Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, but was perhaps best known for his strident resistance to Australia's involvement in the War in Iraq during a two-year stint as opposition leader.

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Glenn McGrath

Away from politics, former Australian cricket star Glenn McGrath was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his work in raising awareness of and funding for breast cancer treatment through his McGrath Foundation.

The foundation was established by McGrath and his first wife, Jane, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, aged 31. She died in 2008. 

The New South Welshman, who held the world record for the most Test wickets by a fast bowler when he retired from the game in 2007, was also recognised for his services to cricket as an international coach – even though he's never coached a national team.

Three-time AFL premiership winner Bachar Houli also made the honours list for his role in the Islamic community and for promoting multiculturalism, as did comedians Hamish Blake and Jimmy Rees for "service to the arts as an entertainer, and to the community".

Anyone can nominate any Australian for an award in the Order of Australia. If you know someone worthy, nominate them now at www.gg.gov.au.

Gaza says 274 Palestinians killed in raid that rescued four hostages

At least 274 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more were wounded in the Israeli raid that rescued four hostages held by Hamas, Gaza's Health Ministry says.

The military on Sunday said its forces came under heavy fire during the complex daytime operation deep inside the territory.

The killing of so many Palestinians, including women and children, in an operation that Israelis celebrated as a stunning success because all four hostages were rescued alive, showed the heavy cost of such operations, on top of the already soaring toll of the eight-month-long war ignited by Hamas' October 7 attack.

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Scores of hostages are believed to be held in densely populated areas or inside Hamas' labyrinth of tunnels, making such operations extremely complex and risky. A similar raid in February rescued two hostages while leaving 74 Palestinians dead.

The complex raid deep into Nuseirat, a built-up refugee camp in central Gaza dating back to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, was the largest rescue operation since October 7, when Hamas and other militants stormed across the border, killing some 1200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage.

Israel launched a massive offensive in response that has killed over 36,700 Palestinians, according to the ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its counts.

It said nearly 700 people were wounded in Saturday's raid. The ministry did not say how many of the casualties were women and children, but Associated Press reporters saw several being treated at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby town of Deir al-Balah in the aftermath of the raid.

Israelis celebrated the return of Noa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41, after Israeli forces raided two locations at once while under fire.

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Released hostages were taken by helicopter for medical checks and tearful reunions with loved ones after 246 days held.

Argamani had been one of the most widely recognised hostages after being taken, like the three others, from a music festival. The video of her abduction showed her seated between two men on a motorcycle as she screamed, "Don't kill me!"

Her mother, Liora, who has brain cancer, had released a video pleading to see her daughter. Israel's Channel 13 said Argamani was moved to the hospital where her mother is treated.

In Gaza, medics described scenes of horror and chaos as wounded people poured into nearby hospitals that were already struggling to treat the wounded from days of heavy Israeli strikes in the area.

"We had the gamut of war wounds, trauma wounds, from amputations to eviscerations to trauma, to TBIs (traumatic brain injuries), fractures, and obviously, big burns," said Karin Huster of Doctors Without Borders, an international charity working in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, one of the facilities that received dead and wounded.

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"Kids completely grey or white from the shock, burnt, screaming for their parents. Many of them are not screaming because they are in shock."

The Israeli military said it had attacked "threats to our forces in the area," and that a special forces officer was killed in the rescue operation.

Israel's military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, told reporters on Saturday that the hostages were being held in two apartments, about 200 metres away from each other, in the heart of the Nuseirat camp.

He said the forces had trained repeatedly on a model of the apartment buildings.

Hagari said the forces moved in simultaneously in broad daylight on both apartments, believing this ensured the best element of surprise.

But he said the rescuers came under heavy fire as they moved out, including from gunmen firing rocket-propelled grenades from within the neighbourhood.

He said the military responded with heavy force, including from aircraft, to extract the rescuers and freed hostages.

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz lashed out at critics of the operation in a post on X.

"Only Israel's enemies complained about the casualties of Hamas terrorists and their accomplices," He said.

Of the 250 hostages abducted on October 7, about half were released in a weeklong ceasefire in November.

About 120 hostages remain, with 43 pronounced dead. Survivors include about 15 women, two children under 5 and two men in their 80s.

Saturday's operation brought the total number of rescued hostages to seven, including one who was freed shortly after the October attack. Israeli troops have recovered the bodies of at least 16 others, according to the government.

The latest rescue lifted some spirits in Israel as divisions deepened over the best way to bring hostages home.

Many Israelis urge Netanyahu to embrace a ceasefire deal US President Joe Biden announced last month, but far-right allies threaten to collapse his government if he does.

Netanyahu, whose support has fallen, rushed to the hospital to greet the freed hostages and his office released a stream of photos and videos of him meeting the families.

But thousands of Israelis again gathered on Saturday evening for the latest anti-government demonstration and calls for a ceasefire agreement.

It was unclear what effect the rescue might have on apparently stalled ceasefire efforts.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to the Middle East next week, seeking a breakthrough.

International pressure is mounting on Israel to limit civilian bloodshed in its war in Gaza. Palestinians also face widespread hunger because fighting and Israeli restrictions have largely cut off the flow of aid.

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