Israeli forces rescued four hostages alive from two separate locations in the central Gaza area of al-Nuseirat on Saturday, the Israeli military confirmed.
Meanwhile, the death toll of more than 200 claimed by Palestinian officials, makes the raid one of the single bloodiest assaults of the eight-month-old war.
DETAILS OF THE FOUR HOSTAGES
The four hostages, three males and one female who were kidnapped by Hamas militants from the Nova music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year, were taken to hospital for medical checks, the military said, and were in good health, according to the Israeli government.
The war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestine while millions have been displaced.
The Israeli government has also been accused of genocide and starvation of the Gazan population, charges which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected.
The hostage rescue operation and an intense accompanying air assault took place in central Gaza’s al-Nuseirat, a densely built-up and often embattled area in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian territory’s ruling Islamist group.
NAMES OF THE FOUR HOSTAGES
The hostages rescued Friday night have been identified as Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40.
Israeli News 12 broadcast footage of Argamani reunited with her father, smiling and embracing him.
Video of Argamani’s kidnapping had circulated soon after she was dragged into Gaza by gunmen on Oct. 7.
They (the hostages) were kidnapped from a music festival during the deadly raid by Hamas-led militants near Gaza on October 7, which precipitated the devastating war.
