The four hostages kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 were rescued in a special operation on Saturday by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Police and the Israel Securities Authority, a joint statement from the groups said.
The operation is the largest rescue of surviving hostages since the start of the current war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to the Associated Press.
Here’s what you need to know about the newly rescued hostages.
Noah Al-Ghamani
Al-Ghamani was one of four hostages kidnapped at the Nova music festival who were rescued on Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces. She video After being arrested along with her boyfriend, she was filmed being carried onto a motorcycle by men, according to the Associated Press. In the video, she is seen with her arms outstretched and screaming, “Don’t kill me!”
A video released by Hamas in January showed her speaking about fellow hostages killed in an airstrike, according to the Associated Press, who said she appeared haggard in the video.
Arugamani motherLiora Argamani, Have According to the Associated Press, Liola has stage 4 brain cancer. In a video from November, Liola begged to see her daughter again, according to CNN.
“I don’t know how much time I have left. I want the chance to see Noah at home,” Liora Al-Ghamani said, according to CNN.
video Posts The video, published on Saturday by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum on the social platform “X,” purportedly shows Al-Ghamani and her father being reunited “after many months of separation.”
Almog Meir Jan
Like Al-Ghamani, Meir Jan was kidnapped from the Nova Festival. post When the IDF took him to a prison camp on the Xth day, his “desire to just celebrate with friends changed dramatically to 245 days of captivity.”
Meir Jan, from a town just outside Tel Aviv, one of Israel’s largest cities, was supposed to start a new job at a technology company on October 8, according to CNN.
“I couldn’t stop hugging her. Tomorrow is my birthday so I got her a present,” Meir Jan’s mother, Orit Meir, said at a press conference on Saturday, according to CNN.
Andrey Kozlov
be post The Israel Defense Forces’ investigation into X said Kozlov “was working security at the Nova music festival.”
“While ensuring the safety of partygoers, he was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists, threatening his own safety,” the IDF post read. “Today marks the day that Andrei has been released from captivity and can finally return to safety.”
Kozlov, a Russian national, traveled to Israel a year ago, according to CNN. After his release, Kozlov spoke to Israeli President Isaac Herzog by phone and talked about how he had improved his Hebrew during his captivity, according to the Associated Press.
Shlomi Ziv
Another post about X by IDF stated Ziv said, [Nova] He died during the festival, during which he was brutally held hostage for 245 days.”
“Today we returned him home to his wife and family,” the post continued. “We continue our operations to bring all hostages home.”
Ziv had lived in the local farming community for more than five years, according to CNN.
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