Israeli forces rescued four hostages from two separate locations during a raid in central Gaza on Saturday, according to the country’s military.
Heavy fighting raged in central Gaza where the hostages were rescued. At least 55 Palestinians, including children, were killed in attacks as people fled for safety during the Israeli operation, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The four hostages, three men and one woman, are in good condition and have been taken to a hospital for medical checks, Israel said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This morning, in a joint special operation held by the @IDF, ISA and the Israeli police, four Israeli hostages were rescued from Gaza,” the post said.
“The four were kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization from the ‘Nova’ music festival on Oct. 7. The hostages were rescued from two separate locations in the heart of Nuseirat.”
Hundreds of Israeli troops took part in the special operation, which had been planned for weeks, Israel’s chief military spokesperson said on Saturday. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said one police officer was injured. Israeli forces returned fire, including with airstrikes, he said.
He told reporters in a televised news conference that the hostages were held in two houses in a residential neighbourhood.
The freed hostages include Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40.
The military action was the largest such hostage recovery operation since the war began. It comes as international pressure mounts on Israel to limit civilian bloodshed in its war in Gaza, which reached its eighth month on Friday.
More than 36,700 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people during the Oct. 7 attacks, according to Israel.
Seeking a breakthrough in the apparently stalled ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to the Middle East next week. Palestinians are facing widespread hunger because the war has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and other supplies.
UN agencies say more than million in Gaza could experience the highest level of starvation by mid-July.
Saturday’s operation is the largest recovery of alive hostages since the war erupted, bringing the total of rescued captives to seven.
‘Thank you for this moment’
Israeli News 12 broadcast footage of Argamani reunited with her father, smiling and embracing him. Video of Argamani’s kidnapping had circulated soon after she was dragged into Gaza by gunmen on Oct. 7.
A video of Argamani receiving a telephone call from Israeli President Isaac Herzog was distributed by his office.
“I am so happy to be here. Thank you for everything, thank you for this moment,” said a smiling Argamani, sitting with her father in a hospital room.
In another video, speaking on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Argamani said, “I am very moved. I haven’t heard Hebrew for so long.”
Her mother, Liora, has stage four brain cancer and in April released a video pleading to see her daughter before she dies.
Luis Har and his family were taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7. He was rescued by the Israel Defence Forces more than four months later. Har says his 129 days as a hostage ‘changed everything … [we are] different people,’ and that he hopes to live in peace one day.
After eight months of war in Gaza, 116 of the approximately 250 hostages remain in the Palestinian enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
Two men were rescued in February when troops stormed a heavily guarded apartment in a densely packed town, and a woman was rescued in the aftermath of October’s attack. Israeli troops have so far recovered at least 16 bodies of hostages from Gaza, according to the government.
Israel said this week that of those who remain in captivity, it believes 43 to be dead. The estimate is based on various sources of information including intelligence tips, video evidence and forensic analysis.