Israel rescues 4 nationals held hostage by Hamas
Four Israeli nationals held captive by Hamas were liberated by Israel Defence Forces from the central Gaza Strip on Saturday during a special operation, according to the country’s military.
The liberated captives, Noa Argamani (25), Almog Meir Jan (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40), were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, at the Supernova music festival near the southern hamlet of Re’im, according to The Times of Israel.
All four hostages are claimed to be in good health and have been transported to the ‘Sheba’ Tel-HaShomer Medical Center for additional medical testing.
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“Noa Argamani (25), Almog Meir Jan (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40) were rescued in a special operation by the IDF, ISA and Israel Police from 2 separate locations in the heart of Nuseirat after being kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival,” IDF said in a post of X.
Israeli army vows to continue the efforts to “bring the hostages home”
The Israeli army also promised to keep working to “bring the hostages home”.
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According to the report, special forces liberated the hostages by simultaneously raiding two Hamas facilities in Nuseirat, central Gaza. Argamani was rescued in one area, while Meir Jan, Kozlov, and Ziv were saved in another.
Argamani, a 25-year-old Chinese-born Israeli citizen, was also abducted at the festival. Her father, Yaakov Argamani, corroborated a video on Israel’s Channel 12 that went viral on social media showing her being hauled away on a motorcycle while screaming, “Don’t kill me.”
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New footage shows Argamani reunited with her father, laughing and embracing him as they board a car. This sight was televised shortly after the news of the rescue effort broke on Saturday.
As the Israel-Hamas war entered its ninth month, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck a UN-run school in Gaza on Friday, killing at least 33 people, according to AFP.
According to the report, Israeli fighter jets killed nine ‘terrorists’ in three classrooms where approximately 30 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters were hiding.
