Israel Rescues Four Hostages Under Fire; One Soldier Injured
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
JERUSALEM/GAZA (Worthy News) – Israeli forces have rescued four hostages alive from two locations in central Gaza while “under fire by Hamas terrorists,” seriously injuring one soldier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari spoke on the heroic operation, saying: “The IDF and Yamam infiltrated two facilities [in Nuseirat] while under fire by Hamas terrorists.”
He added that a soldier of Yamam, Israel’s National Counter-Terrorism Unit, was “seriously injured in the operation” and had just reached the hospital. “We pray for his well-being.”
The four hostages, three males and one female, were abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7. Hamas fighters also massacred some 1,200 people that day while kidnapping about 250 others, triggering the Israel-Hamas war.
Those rescued Saturday were identified as Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40.
Argamani was one of the most widely recognized hostages since she was abducted from a music festival in southern Israel. A video of her abduction was among the first to surface.
The images showed her horrified face with Argamani detained between two men on a motorcycle. One arm was outstretched, and the other was held down as she screamed, “Don’t kill me!”
STAGE FOUR CANCER
Her mother, Liora, has stage four brain cancer and, in April, released a video pleading to see her daughter before she dies.
While about half were released in a weeklong cease-fire in November, Israel
says more than 130 hostages remain.
About a quarter of those are believed dead, and divisions have been reported in the country over the best way to bring them home.
The rescue comes as international pressure mounts on Israel to limit civilian bloodshed in its war in Gaza, which reached its eighth month on Friday.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry claims that more than 36,700 Palestinians were killed, but it does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
Israel says nearly half of those killed are Hamas fighters.
Seeking a breakthrough in the apparently stalled cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to the Middle East next week.
However, Israel sent a signal to Hamas Saturday that it won’t wait to rescue hostages.
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