The Israel Defense Forces carried out a daring operation Saturday morning that successfully rescued alive four hostages who had been held by Hamas for the last eight months.
A joint statement released by the IDF, Shin Bet, and Israeli police said a “complex operation” liberated Noa Argamani (25), Almog Meir (21), Andrei Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40) — all four of which were kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova Music Festival during the Iran-backed terrorists’ October 7 massacre.
Officials said the four hostages were rescued from two separate locations in Nuseirat in central Gaza. (Not for nothing, the area is also home to a refugee camp, another instance of Hamas terrorists trying to hide behind and among civilians.) The now-freed hostages are in “stable” condition and have been transferred to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer outside of Tel Aviv.
Israeli officials also reiterated their commitment to “make every effort to bring the hostages home.”
According to The Jerusalem Post, Argamani was rescued from one of the two locations and Meir, Kozlov, and Ziv were rescued from the other.
The announcement of the successful Israeli rescue came after the IDF said it was launching strikes on “terror infrastructure” in Nuseirat, which was later realized to be part of the operation to liberate hostages and bring them home to Israel.
According to IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, hundreds of soldiers participated in the rescue that included Israeli strikes “from the land, air, and sea.”
“It was a complex and difficult operation,” Hagari added, “under constant gunfire — but it was successful.”
Notably, Saturday’s operation demonstrated the importance of Israel’s continued military campaign in Gaza not just to eliminate the military threat posed by Hamas but to rescue its hostages — and showed a ceasefire is not necessary to bring the hostages home.
It’s also a clear repudiation of the Biden administration’s repeated demand that Israel stand down. If the White House had gotten its way, these four Israelis would still be hostages of Hamas today. Instead, they’re free and reunited with their loved ones.
The much-needed good news, a reason for hope that more hostages will be rescued in the days ahead, was celebrated across Israel on Saturday.
