Israel announced that it had safely rescued four hostages who had been held by Hamas during an attack on October 7.
The Israel Defense Forces said three male and one female hostages had been rescued in the largest hostage rescue operation since the start of the war with Hamas in Gaza.
Noa Al-Ghamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 41, and Andrey Kozlov, 27, were rescued in two separate locations during a complex special daytime operation in the center of Nuseirat, central Gaza, after they had been held captive by terrorist groups for 246 days.
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Noa Al-Ghamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 41, and Andrey Kozlov, 27, were rescued in two separate locations during a complex special daytime operation in the center of Nuseirat, central Gaza. (Israel Defense Forces)
Al-Ghamani has been one of the most publicised hostages since she was kidnapped at a music festival in southern Israel. Videos of the kidnapping were one of the first to be released, and widely shared images showed her terrified face as she was sandwiched between two men on a motorbike, one arm outstretched and the other pinned down, crying out “Don’t kill me!”
Her mother, Liola, was suffering from stage four brain cancer and released a video in April pleading to see her daughter before she died.
Members of the national police’s special counterterrorism unit, Yamam, and Shin Bet operatives simultaneously raided two Hamas buildings to rescue the hostages: Al-Ghamani was rescued in one location, while Meir Jan, Kozlov, and Ziv were in the second.
Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora was killed during the raid. (Israel Defense Forces)
During the operation, Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora, a member of Yamam’s Special Counter-Terrorism Unit, was seriously injured and later died from his injuries.
Hamas still holds 120 Israeli hostages in Gaza, 43 of whom have been declared dead and whose bodies are still in Hamas’ custody.
An Israeli helicopter takes off from the Gaza Strip carrying the three rescued hostages.
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“Noah, Almog, Andrei and Shlomi, I am very happy to welcome you home,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.
“Our forces carried out a heroic operation to rescue four hostages held by Hamas and bring them back to Israel.”
Hostage Andrey Kozlov emerges from a helicopter after being rescued by Hamas. (Gideon Markovits/TPS-IL)
“I followed the complex operation from the command and control center. The IDF, International Front for Israel and Special Forces operated under heavy fire with extraordinary courage and accomplished the mission. The IDF will keep fighting until all 120 hostages are home.”
Gallant later described the mission as “the most heroic and extraordinary operation” he had witnessed during his 47 years with the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
Almog Jan Meir reunites with family (Israel Defense Forces)
The Hostage Families Forum headquarters welcomed the news and praised the Israeli government.
“The IDF’s heroic operation to free and return Noa Al-Ghamani, Shlomi Ziv, Andrei Kozlov and Almog Meir Jan is a miraculous victory,” the group’s statement said.
“Now, as jubilation spreads across Israel, the Israeli government must remember its promise to return all 120 hostages being held by Hamas – those who are alive for rehabilitation and those who were killed for burial.”
“We continue to call on the international community to exert the necessary pressure on Hamas to accept the proposed agreement and release the remaining 120 hostages being held. Every day flies by.”
Noah Al-Ghamani embraces her father on his birthday today. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF Major General Daniel Hagari said the hostage rescue operation, which took place at about 11am local time, was a “high-risk and complex mission.”
“Our forces rescued the hostages despite being subjected to artillery fire inside the building and on the way out of Gaza,” Hagari said. “The Israeli military has been preparing for this operation for weeks. They risked their lives to save the hostages’ lives. This is what we do in Israel.”
Hagari said Israel would not stop until all the hostages were rescued. He said the four had been taken to hospital for medical examinations and would soon be reunited with their families.
“They are back in Israel, alive and well.”
All four hostages were kidnapped from the NOVA Festival.
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Defense Minister Yoav Galant approved the hostage rescue operation, along with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Helge Halevi, IDF Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliba, and Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon (retired). (Ariel Hermoni/IMoD)
Noa Al-Ghamani is from Beersheba and was kidnapped along with her boyfriend, Abinatan Oar, who remains in Hamas custody. A yoga and art enthusiast, she also enjoys hiking. At the time of her abduction, she was studying Information Systems Management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Almog Meir Jan, from Or Yehuda, was due to take a job at a major tech company the day after the terrorist attack.
Shlomi Ziv of Moshav Elkosh was working as a security guard on Oct. 7. Ziv and his wife, Milen, have lived in the moshav for about 17 years.
Andrey Kozlov, a native of Rishon Lezion, was working as a security guard that day. Kozlov had recently immigrated to Israel and made aliyah alone about a year and a half ago, leaving his family behind. Aliyah is the act of going up to the Jewish holy city of Jerusalem.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the hostage operation (ISA (Shin Bet))
