The Israelis, engaged in their ninth month of war, finally had reason to rejoice yesterday on Saturday, after news broke that four Israeli hostages had been taken safely from the Gaza Strip during a daytime raid
Shouts of joy on the sidewalks and beaches and crowds formed in front of the hospitals where the hostages had been taken.
On television, anchors cried during breaking news alerts, as did Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his call to Noa Argamani, one of the most notable of the more than 250 hostages taken in Gaza during the October 7 Hamas attacks .
“Noa, I’m so excited to hear your voice — it brings tears to my eyes,” Herzog told the 26-year-old, who had been captured and was seen on video screaming, “Don’t kill me!” while she was taken to Gaza on the back of a motorcycle.
Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s main political rival, who had scheduled a press conference for last Saturday to resign from the war cabinet, canceled the event and instead announced that his “heart is full of the return of Noa, Andrey, Almog and Shlomi”.
Demonstrating that Hamas uses civilian structures to hide hostages and conceal terrorist bases, the four freed hostages were held captive in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
In the military operation that led to the release of the Israeli hostages, at least 210 Palestinians were killed, according to what Hamas claims, which also speaks of 400 injured.
The US helped Israel in the action that allowed the release of the 4 hostages in Nuseirat, Gaza. A US source reported this – reported by the Israeli media – to CNN. “An American cell – he explained – supported the efforts to save four Israeli hostages, collaborating with Israeli forces in the operation”.
The Israeli police announced the death of Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, commander of the special anti-terrorism unit, killed in the operation in Nuseirat inside the Gaza Strip for the release of the four hostages. Zamora – as military spokesman Daniel Hagari had said – was seriously injured in the operation. Taken to hospital, he was pronounced dead.
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