The Israeli military announced the liberation of four hostages in a raid against Hamas in Nuseiran, in the Gaza Strip. These are three men and a woman, 21-year-old Almog Meir Jan, 40-year-old Shlomi Ziv, 27-year-old Russian Andrey Kozlov and 25-year-old Noa Argamani, all taken prisoner in the October 7, 2023 massacre at the Supernova rave. The video of the girl’s kidnapping on a motorbike, while she screamed in terror “don’t kill me”, had become one of the symbolic images of the attack in the Negev desert.
The operation of the Israel Defense Forces
The success of the operation was communicated by the Israeli Defense Forces: “The hostages – declared the IDF in a joint note with the Shin Bet internal intelligence – were saved by the Shin Bet and by army fighters from two places several during the operation in the heart of Nuseirat. Their medical conditions are normal and they have been transferred to Sheba-Tel Hashomer Medical Center for further medical tests. Security forces continue to use all efforts to rescue the abductees.”
“A’complex operation, planned for several weeks, which took place under heavy enemy fire,” added Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari. At least 50 Palestinians were killed in the Nuseirat raid and other areas of central Gaza, the Times of Israel reported. According to what an official from a hospital in central Gaza told the Associated Press agency, the toll from the attack was around 94 dead and around 100 injured.
The reactions in Israel
The news was followed by a wave of joy throughout the country. “The heroic operation of the IDF – declared the Forum of the families of the hostages – which freed and brought home Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov and Almog Meir Jan is a miraculous triumph. Now, with the joy that overwhelms Israel, the government must remember its commitment to bring back all 120 hostages still held by Hamas: the living for rehabilitation, the killed for burial.”
“We continue to call on the international community to exert the necessary pressure on Hamas to accept the proposed agreement and release the another 120 hostages held prisoner. Every day is a day too many,” they said from the association of relatives of the kidnapped people.
After the announcement of the release of the hostages, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz canceled the press conference scheduled for the evening, in which he was supposed to resign due to disagreements with the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Even today my thoughts go to all the families of the hostages, we are committed to doing everything we can to bring them home” said Gantz, while the Israeli Prime Minister reiterated that “Israel does not give in to terrorism and acts with creativity and a courage that knows no limits to bring our hostages home.”
Who are the 4 hostages released from Hamas prisons?
During the liberation, images of the embrace with the father of were released Noa Argamanione of the symbolic faces of the mass kidnapping carried out by Hamas during the rave of last October 7th.
The 25-year-old reappeared in a video broadcast by Hamas on May 31, in which she asked Israelis to mobilize to push the government to take action to free the hostages. “We are running out of timepeople must decide, we don’t want to die here” he was heard saying in the audio attributed to the girl who asked “will you leave us here to put an end to the fate of me and my fellow hostages like Ron Arad?”.
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Immediately after the liberation Noa Argamani had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I am very excited, I haven’t spoken Hebrew in so long” said the 25-year-old.
The 21-year-old was also freed together with her Almog Meir Jan, who had finished his military service three months before his capture, the Russian citizen Andrey Kozlov27 years old, employed in rave security like the 40 year old Shlomi Zivwent to Supernova with, Aviv Eliyahu, a relative of his wife, and Jake Marlowe, a friend, both killed in the Hamas raid.
The hostages are all said to be in good medical condition and have been transferred to the “Sheba” medical center in Tel-HaShomer for further examinations.
Photo source: ANSA/ X – Bring them home now
