Is attraction and sexual desire toward a female friend of the same sex, and enjoying kissing and hugging, considered permissible (halal) or forbidden (haram)? And how can one get rid of this attraction?

What you have mentioned is not love for the sake of Allah. Love for the sake of Allah leads to obedience to Him, cooperation in good deeds, and the attainment of religious benefits. What you are describing is a pathological, lustful attachment that must be overcome by struggling against lustful thoughts and replacing them with beneficial ones, while seeking help through supplication. Beware of unlawful physical contact that incites lust.