
Israeli police on Monday released dramatic footage showing the rescue of three hostages by Israeli counter-terrorism unit troops from Nusirat in central Gaza on Saturday. Israeli forces last week rescued four hostages alive from two locations in the central Gaza Strip, eight months after they were kidnapped during a deadly incursion into the country.
The four hostages, including three men and a woman, were kidnapped from the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7 last year. They have been identified as 25-year-old Nova Argamani, 21-year-old Almog Mirjan, 27-year-old Andrey Kozlov and 40-year-old Shlomi Zev. A video released by Israeli police shows officers entering the home of a Hamas terrorist who was holding three Israelis hostage. The male hostage
‘all is well’
Officials reached a room in the house where the three hostages were seen cowering amid heavy gunfire and explosions. “Hebrews, Hebrews, where are they all?” An Israeli officer was heard shouting at the three men, The Times of Israel. “Here, here they are,” said another officer.
“Name, name,” the first officer calls to Mirjan and Kozlov, who respond with their names. [hostages] The officer said after identifying the three. “Everything is fine. We have come to save you, keep calm,” the officer said before punching Mir Jan. out of the area by Israeli officers.
After an eight-month war in Gaza that began with an October 7 attack by Hamas, 116 of the approximately 250 hostages taken by the militants remain in the Palestinian raid. A total of 40 people have been declared dead in absentia by the authorities. Israel’s chief military spokesman said the rescue operation was carried out under fire in the heart of a residential neighborhood, where he said Hamas was hiding hostages among Gazan civilians among the militants’ armed guards.
‘I’m very happy to be here’
At a televised news conference, spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said one Israeli soldier was seriously wounded. He said that the Israeli forces retaliated with airstrikes. Gaza’s health ministry said at least 55 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation. A video of Argamani receiving a telephone call from Israeli President Isaac Herzog was distributed by his office.
“I’m so happy to be here. Thank you for everything, thank you for this moment,” a smiling Argmani said as she sat with her father in the hospital room. In another video, speaking on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Argamani said, “I’m very impressed. I haven’t heard Hebrew in such a long time.”
(with agency information)