Israeli special forces have freed four hostages held in Nuseirat, central Gaza, as Israeli attacks and airstrikes in the same area killed at least 93 Palestinians, including children, local medics said.

The rescue raid was the largest of the war, bringing three men and a woman who were kidnapped at the Nova music festival back to Israel.

They were named as Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40.

While Israelis celebrated the return of the hostages on Saturday night, Palestinians in Gaza mourned dozens of dead, or watched over loved ones in the overcrowded al-Aqsa martyrs’ hospital, the only one in the area that is still partly functioning.

The bodies of nearly 100 Palestinians were brought to the hospital along with more than 100 injured, spokesperson Khalil Degran told the Associated Press. The agency’s reporters also counted dozens of bodies, including that of a baby.

Degran later told the Associated Press that overall, 210 dead had been taken to al-Aqsa martyrs’ hospital and to al-Awda hospital, saying he had spoken to the director there. Al-Awda’s numbers couldn’t immediately be confirmed.

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, described the Israeli attacks as a “bloody massacre” and called for an emergency UN security council session.

The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, condemned “in the strongest terms … reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians”.

In a post on X, he called for a ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages. “The bloodbath must end immediately,” he said.