The Israeli military has announced the successful rescue of four captives from central Gaza amidst escalating violence across the region. Palestinian health officials reported at least 55 Palestinians killed and dozens wounded in the Israeli attacks on central Gaza.
According to the Israeli army, the four captives – Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40 – were taken during a music festival attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in southern Israel on October 7. They were found in good medical condition and taken to hospital following a complex daytime operation in Gaza’s Nuseirat, the army stated.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari revealed that special forces underwent weeks of intensive training for the operation. Despite facing gunfire during the mission, Israeli forces managed to retrieve the captives safely. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured one of the rescued captives that they were not forgotten during the 246 days of conflict.
However, Israeli officials did not address the casualties among Palestinians during the operation. The Ministry of Health in Gaza shared images of bloodied patients, including children, in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after Israeli airstrikes targeted “terrorist” infrastructure.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri criticized the Israeli operation, stating that regaining four captives after nine months of conflict signifies failure rather than achievement. The ongoing violence in Gaza has resulted in thousands of casualties, with Hamas launching the initial attack that triggered the conflict.
