Associated Press
Israel said Saturday it rescued four hostages who were kidnapped in a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, in the largest such hostage recovery operation since the war with Hamas began in Gaza.
Heavy fighting raged in central Gaza, where the hostages were rescued, and at least 55 people, including children, were killed in multiple attacks Saturday as people fled for safety, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The army said it rescued Noa Argamani, 25; Almog Meir Jan, 21; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 40, in two separate locations in a complex special daytime operation in the heart of Nuseirat in central Gaza.
Argamani, has been one of the most widely recognized hostages since she was abducted from a music festival in southern Israel. The video of her abduction was among the first to surface, images of her horrified face widely shared — Argamani detained between two men on a motorcycle, one arm outstretched and the other held down as she screams “Don’t kill me!”
Hamas killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped some 250 hostages during the Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the Israel-Hamas war. About half were released in a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel says more than 130 hostages remain, with about a quarter of those believed dead, and divisions are deepening 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 with more than 36,700 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. 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.
Palestinians are facing widespread hunger because the war has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and other supplies. U.N. agencies say over 1 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.
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.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called Saturday’s rescue “a heroic operation” and said the army will continue fighting until all the hostages are returned.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing pressure to end the fighting in Gaza, with many Israelis urging him to embrace a deal announced last month by U.S. President Joe Biden, but far-right allies threatening to collapse his government if he does.
Argamani spoke by phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Netanyahu. In an audio message released by the government, Netanyahu is heard asking Argamani how she’s feeling and said he hasn’t given up on the hostages. She tells him she is “very excited,” saying she hasn’t heard Hebrew in so long.
Her friend, Yonatan Levi, reacted to the news with a sense of disbelief. “Wow. Don’t know what to say. So excited such a crazy reality. So happy now and joyful,” Levi said.
The rescue comes as Israel is intensifying operations across central Gaza, where the hostages were rescued.
The bodies of the dozens of Palestinians killed Saturday were taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital, where they were counted by Associated Press reporters. They later saw more injured and dead arrive at the hospital from Nuseirat and the eastern Deir al-Balah areas, as plumes of smoke rose in the distance.
On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike hit a U.N.-run school compound in Nuseirat, killing over 33 people inside the school, including three women and nine children.
___
Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
12 comments
Kaitlin Clarkee
June 8, 2024 at 9:36 am
The media of old sure is gone…why only publish an article addressing the courageous rescue behind enemy lines of four hostages? AP and Florida Politics sure do revive antisemitism…as if there’s some sort of moral equivalency between a group of people who’ve chosen terrorists as leaders vs the Jewish people? So disgusting.
Ocean Joe
June 8, 2024 at 9:55 am
There is no moral equivalency between the govt of Israel and Hamas, but there is some equivalency between Hamas terrorists and far-right Israeli settlers on the West Bank who claim some kind of moral imperative from the Bible allows them to steal land from Arabs there. Our own right wing gives these folks (the settlers) cover to create a fait accompli to eliminate the chance of a two state solution.
The suffering of the civilian shields plays into Hamas’ strategy, surprised Israel fell for it, but what was the alternative? Eat rockets?
Anormous
June 8, 2024 at 11:06 am
Make $170 per hour. its very hard to find jobs nowadays. In this situation, you have access to a wealth of resources to help you with your working abilities. Be motivated to promote Thousands of works such as copy paste things through job boards and career ew-30 websites on internet
Just Take A Look At This>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> shorturl.at/DelT4
Julia
June 8, 2024 at 5:25 pm
Make $170 per hour. its very hard to find jobs nowadays. In this situation, you have access to a wealth of resources to help you with your working abilities. Be motivated to promote Thousands of works such as copy paste things through job boards and career ac-05 websites on internet
Just Take A Look At This>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> accessway25.blogspot.com
Elvis Pitts "The Big Voice On The Right" American
June 8, 2024 at 10:18 am
You’ve got a point there Kaitlin,
But there is so much more which needs to be addressed because you just reacted (above) exactly as the Dook 4 Brains Leftist Media has programed your mind to react.
ELVIS PREACHES ON:
1.) My Dear Readership: It’s an A. P. article reprint. And as such, every aspect of the artical is designed to control our minds in order to turn us away from being Sage Patriots and infect our brains with doubt in order to turn us into Dook 4 Brains Leftys.
2.) [And slightly off topic] We need to discuss “The Dooking of 8IDEN’s Pants over there in France at that WWII ceremony.
THE DOOKING OF 8IDEN’s PANTS:
1.) America the vidieo of “THE DOOKING” is 100% Indisputable.
2.) Conservative News Outlets have incorrectly chosen not to cover “THE DOOKING” because they think they are taking the high ground … because they think they are better than those that punch down … because they really hate Trump and dont want Trump to win … or just because they are €ffin idiots.
BUT WAIT THERES MORE:
Does anyone out there in Readership Land think that if Trump had such a “Dooking Incident” that the Liberal Press would just ignore “The Dooking” by failure to report such “DOOKING”?
IN CLOSING:
The conservative press is dead wrong in “ITS EPIC FAILURE TO REPORT ON THE 8IDEN DOOKING”.
THAT BEING SAID:
Trump thankfully does not need conservative media and will win in spite of their back-stabbing attempt to harm Trump by “Not Reporting On And Making Fun of THE 8IDEN DOOKING”.
Thanks again Beautiful Kaitlin, and thanks for asking me, Elvis Pitts American, to “WEIGH IN” by sharing my Golden Nuggetts of Sage Wisdom with our Greatfull Nation. Live Long And Prosper, Beautiful Kaitlin,
Elvis Pitts “Sage Political Prognisticator Emeritis” American
GeorgeGreenfield
June 9, 2024 at 12:37 pm
I essentially make about $9,000-$13,000 every month on the web. It’s sufficient to serenely supplant my old employments pay, particularly considering I just work around 10-13 hours every week from home. I was stunned how simple it was after I attempted it duplicate underneath web…..
Begin here>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Salarypay5.Com
Ocean Joe
June 8, 2024 at 9:49 am
Israel has experience getting her people back against all odds. Younger people have no clue about Entebbe. Ours sat in the Persian embassy for well over a year.
The folks who made Oct 7 possible are now claiming Hezbollah is ready to fight. As I have posted before, if the Iranians can dislodge the Jews, the Shia will begin slaughtering the Sunnis just as they’ve done in Syria.
Elvis Pitts "The Big Voice On The Right" American
June 8, 2024 at 10:27 am
My Main Man and Besty Lefty OJ,
Every day I become more convinced you are actually a Sage Patriot in desguise. My Brother from Another Mother !!!!
Actually, My Besty OJ, I totally get it. You likely live with an Increadably Hot Lady whose only flaw is that she leans politically to the left (I totally get it my man) and/or have business reasons not to go “All Sage Patriot In Public”.
Love my Brother from Another Mother OJ,
Brother Elvis Pitts American
My Take
June 8, 2024 at 11:19 am
Terrorism played a big role in the founding of Israel too. Many hands are not clean.
Isn”t Likud basically the political descendent of the the terrorisst group Irgun?
Elvis Pitts "The Big Voice On The Right" American
June 8, 2024 at 11:32 am
Goot Morn ‘Ting Sage Patriots,
After some contimplation on Right Wing Media hideing the 8IDEN Dook Story from us I have Decided to-ramp-up.
Here is a listing of “DOOK DENIERS”:
Faux News – Clay & Buck – Sean Hannity – Mark Levin – Gutfield Show – Jessie Waters.
But not Harris Faulkner because of her Hot MlLF status in my heart……oh and Tyeres is also excused on the grounds that he is bigger than me and can unquestionably kick my @55 (hey I’m just angry…not stupid).
As For The Rest Of You:
All under a painfull Chastizement from me, Elvis Pitts American for being 8IDEN DOOK DENYERS.
SSSsssssTTTTtttttt ….. FEEL THE BURN OF CHASTIZEMENT.
IN CLOSING:
Our Great Nation Is Lucky Trump can make it to The White House without you Dook Denyers,
Elvis Pitts American
Second chance s
June 13, 2024 at 4:43 pm
They do not like Medical and allies or policies.
Glad some came home.
Those people destroy each other all the time.
Second chance s
June 13, 2024 at 4:44 pm
America
Comments are closed.