4 Israeli hostages including Noa Argamani freed during ‘complex’ raid in central Gaza

 Four Israelis held hostage by Hamas were freed in a daring raid in central Gaza on Saturday.

Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andri Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, were all rescued, the Israel Defense Forces said after the mission, the BBC reported.

The hostages were rescued during a “complex” operation at two locations in Nuseirat, central Gaza, the IDF said.

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Noa Argamani, one of Israel’s hostages in Gaza was rescued Saturday.via REUTERS

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Noa Argamani is seen here with her family in a hospital.IDF

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The four hostages were rescued during a Saturday raid by the IDF in Central Gaza.Keshet News12

They are the first rescued since two others were freed during a raid in February.

Israel says that another 130 hostages remain in Gaza, though a high percentage of them could be dead as a result of deprivation from captivity.Cheers erupted on the beaches of Tel Aviv after lifeguards announced the successful operation, videos of the moment circulating on X showed.

Video of Argamani embracing her father after being reunited was broadcast by Israel News 12. 

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Andrey Kozlov, 27, was kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas.REUTERS

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Hostage Almog Meir Jan, 21, was rescued by IDF soldiers.REUTERS

Argamani’s mother has terminal brain cancer and had prayed to see her daughter again.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Argamani by phone after the raid.

She and the other three former hostages are in good health and recovering at Tel HaShomer hospital in central Israel, Haaretz reported. 

“On behalf of the entire people of Israel, I thank the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Israel Police and the Israel Defense Forces for an impressive and daring rescue operation, and I wish for the speedy return of all our abductees to their families. Israel Lives!,” Herzog said in an X post Saturday.

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Shlomi Ziv (on the left in the gray shirt) was rescued during an IDF raid.REUTERS

Footage of Argamani being dragged into Gaza by Hamas terrorists circulated widely after the vicious Oct 7 attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead.

More recently, Argamani had been featured in propaganda videos broadcast by the group.

The Saturday raid was the largest single recovery of hostages captured by Hamas, bringing the total number of rescued up to seven. 

In October Israel successfully rescued IDF corporal Ori Megidish.

In February, they recovered Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har. 

https://nypost.com/2024/06/08/us-news/four-israeli-hostages-freed-during-raid-in-central-gaza/