Four hostages kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival on 7 October have been rescued in a daylight raid in central Gaza, as scores of Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in the same area.
Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were freed during a “high-risk, complex mission” from two separate buildings in the Nuseirat area, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The IDF said the released hostages were all in good health, and they were later pictured embracing family members at a medical centre near Tel Aviv.
It comes as dozens of Palestinians, including children, were killed on Saturday in the area where the operation took place.
Two hospitals in Gaza, al-Aqsa hospital and al-Awda hospital, said they had counted 70 bodies between them, while Hamas’s government media office said at least 210 people had been killed.
Earlier, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said Cogat, the Israeli defence ministry body in charge of civilian policy in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, estimated there had been under 100 casualties.
‘Precise intelligence’
The rare rescue of hostages – a joint operation conducted by the IDF, Israel Security Agency and Israel Police – comes eight months into war with Hamas in Gaza.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the mission was based on “precise” intelligence and that Israeli forces came under fire during the operation.
One special forces officer was wounded in the Gaza hostage rescue and later died in hospital, Israel police said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israeli forces for operating “creatively and bravely”.
“We will not let up until we complete the mission and return home all the hostages – both those alive and dead,” he added.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said special forces operated “under heavy fire” when rescuing the four hostages.
“This is one of the most heroic and extraordinary operations I have witnessed over the course of 47 years serving in Israel’s defence establishment,” Mr Gallant said.
Miss Argamani, a Chinese-born Israeli citizen, was kidnapped from the Nova festival and harrowing video footage from 7 October showed the 26-year-old being taken away on the back of a motorbike screaming, “Don’t kill me!”
Fresh video of her being reunited with her father, smiling and embracing him on board a vehicle, was broadcast soon after news of the rescue operation on Saturday.
Mr Kozlov, a Russian who moved to Israel in 2022, and Mr Ziv had both been working as security guards at the festival when they were kidnapped.
Mr Jan had been due to start a job at a large tech company the day after he was kidnapped.
The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters, a group representing the families of the hostages, described the rescue 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.”
While there was jubilation in Israel, images and video showed there had been intense bombardment in and around the densely-populated area of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp.
Hospitals there said they were overwhelmed with casualties, including children, and that they were unable to treat everyone.
The Hamas government media office said at least 400 were wounded in the densely-populated area.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an emergency United Nations Security Council session to discuss what he has called “the bloody massacre that was carried out by the Israeli forces” in and around the al-Nuseirat refugee camp.
Gantz’s expected resignation postponed
The rescue comes amid efforts for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
Mr Netanyahu has been urged to reach an agreement but faces opposition from far-right allies who say military action is the only way to bring the hostages back.
Saturday’s operation is the most successful rescue of hostages by the Israeli military in this war – and could change the calculation of a prime minister who is under increasing pressure.
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz cancelled a news conference which had been scheduled for Saturday.
It comes amid speculation Mr Gantz would quit having previously threatened to resign from the war cabinet if Mr Netanyahu did not approve a post-war plan for Gaza by 8 June.
World leaders, including US President Joe Biden, France’s Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have welcomed the news of the hostage rescue.
