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| Israel announces the rescue of four hostages, including Noa Argamani, in a Gaza operation |
Four Israeli hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival during the attacks on October 7 have been rescued in a daylight raid deep within central Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, were freed during a "high-risk, complex mission" in the Nuseirat area. They were held in two separate buildings.
The released hostages are reported to be in good medical condition and have been transferred to Sheba Tel HaShomer Medical Center for further examinations. The operation, which was a joint effort by the IDF, Israel Security Agency, and Israel Police, resulted in significant casualties, including children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Images and footage show a large number of injured individuals, and staff at the Al-Aqsa hospital are struggling to treat the casualties. The ministry stated on Facebook that "dozens of injured people are lying on the ground and medical teams are trying to save them with the simple medical capabilities they have."
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari highlighted that the mission relied on "precise" intelligence and noted that Israeli forces encountered gunfire during the operation. He also mentioned in a televised news conference that one Israeli soldier was seriously injured. This rare rescue took place eight months into the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
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| Almog Meir Jan, a recently freed hostage, reacts following the announcement by the military that Israeli forces have successfully rescued four hostages from the central Gaza Strip. |
Miss Argamani, a Chinese-born Israeli citizen, was kidnapped from the Nova festival. Harrowing video footage from October 7th showed the 25-year-old being taken away on the back of a motorbike, screaming, "Don't kill me!" In a heartwarming turn of events, fresh video soon emerged showing her smiling and embracing her father on board a vehicle after a successful rescue operation.
Mr. Kozlov, a Russian who moved to Israel in 2022, had been working as a security guard at the festival when he was kidnapped. Mr. Jan attempted to flee the festival with a friend; they reached the friend's car but could only drive a short distance before being forced to stop.
Mr. Ziv, also part of the festival's security detail, was initially in contact with his sisters as the attack unfolded, according to an interview with The Times of Israel.
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| Andrey Kozlov, a Russian-Israeli, was working in security at the music festival when he was kidnapped on October 7. |
The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters, a group representing the families of the hostages, described the rescue of the four hostages as “a miraculous triumph” and thanked the IDF for the “heroic operation.” The group added: “The Israeli government must remember its commitment to bring back all 120 hostages still held by Hamas — the living for rehabilitation, the murdered for burial.”
In response to the military offensive in Nuseirat, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said Israel could not force its choices on the group. He stated that the group would not agree to a ceasefire deal unless it achieved security for Palestinians.
During its October 7 attacks in southern Israel, Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took some 251 people hostage. About 116 hostages remain in the Palestinian territory, including 41 the army says are dead. A deal agreed upon in November saw Hamas release 105 hostages in return for a week-long ceasefire and the release of some 240 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
On Saturday, the Hamas-run health ministry reported that the death toll in Gaza has now reached 36,801 people.
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