Israeli security forces rescued four hostages during a daytime raid in central Gaza on Saturday, including the face of the hostages Noa Argamani, whose haunting video of her abduction was seen around the world.
The hostages have been transferred to the Sheba Tel-HaShomer Medical Center near Tel Aviv, where authorities say they are in “good medical condition.”
The rescued hostages are Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, according to a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces.
They were among those kidnapped by Hamas during the Nova music festival on Oct. 7.
The news was well received in Israel. The families of the victims were overjoyed. Crowds cheered as lifeguards announced the news over a loudspeaker, reading their names one by one.
A video circulating on social media showed Argamani as she reunited with her father.
She also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone conversation following her rescue. “I’m very excited,” she said. “I haven’t spoken Hebrew in such a long time.”
Argamani, a data science engineering student, was captured on video screaming as she was carried away on the back of a motorcycle, in a roughly 10-second clip that became a symbol of Israel’s hostage crisis.
Saturday’s operation is the second time the IDF has rescued hostages alive from Gaza since Oct. 7.
In February, two hostages were rescued from the southern city of Rafah during an overnight mission.
