Israel rescues four hostages, including Noa Argamani

JTA - Israeli forces rescued four hostages held since Oct. 7 in the central Gaza Strip, including Noa Argamani, the festival-goer who was filmed screaming as she was carried away by terrorists on a motorcycle.

In addition to Argamani, 26, the army said in a statement that Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were rescued Saturday in the raid. All four were attending the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists killed approximately 1,200 people and abducted some 250, launching the war.

The army said special forces carried out the operation in Nuseirat in the center of the coastal territory. Arnon Zamora, a commander of the operation, was killed in the battle.

Hamas initially said “dozens” of Palestinians were killed in the operation. Media later quoted the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry as saying the number was more than 200. It did not report what proportion were civilians and what proportion were combatants.

A Hamas spokesman later said that Israeli captives were among the dead, but did not offer any evidence. The spokesman, posting on Telegram, said the attack would “pose a great danger” to the remaining captives. About 120 people are thought to remain captive, including dozens who have been killed.

Argamani in particular became a symbol of Oct. 7, and especially of the massacre at the Nova festival where terrorists killed 364 people, after footage of her abduction emerged that day. The fate of her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, also seen in the video being led away by terrorists, is not known.

Photos of Argamani enjoying herself before her abduction featured prominently on posters, fliers and social media advocating for the release of the hostages, and Hamas released at least two videos of her in captivity since Oct. 7.