Israeli forces have rescued four hostages alive from the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, the military said.
The four hostages, three male and one woman, had been kidnapped from the Nova music festival on 7 October and were taken to hospital for medical checks, Reuters reports.
The army said it rescued Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, in a complex special daytime operation in Nuseirat, AP reported.
Here are some more of the latest images of the released hostages:
A video shared on social media shows the moment Israeli hostage Noa Argamani was reunited with her father after being rescued from central Gaza by Israeli forces.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel does not give into terrorism and that it is operating “creatively and bravely” to bring home the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
“We are committed to do so in the future as well. We will not let up until we complete the mission and return home all the hostages – both those alive and dead,” Netanyahu said.
Bodies of at least 55 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Al-Nuseirat and other areas in central Gaza, and dozens wounded, in the attacks, arrived on Saturday at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the health ministry said.
The hospital, one of the only hospitals still functioning in Gaza, has been currently operating via one power generator and could go out of service while dozens of injured were still on the streets, a spokesperson from the health ministry said in front of the hospital.
Israeli forces rescued four hostages alive in a special operation from two separate locations in the central Gaza area of Al-Nuseirat on Saturday, the military said.
We are starting to see photos coming through of the released hostages and their loved ones’ reactions.
Israel cannot force its choices on Hamas and the group will accept no deal that does not achieve security for Palestinians, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Saturday in response to an Israeli military offensive in Gaza’s al-Nuseirat area.
Israeli forces have rescued four hostages alive from two separate locations in the central Gaza area of al-Nuseirat on Saturday, the military said.
Senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters after the announcement that “regaining four captives after nine months of fighting is a sign of failure not an achievement.”
Hundreds of Israeli troops took part in a special operation held under fire to rescue four hostages alive from Hamas captors in Gaza, Israel’s chief military spokesperson said on Saturday.
The operation was weeks in the planning and one police officer was badly hurt, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said in a televised news conference.
The hostages were held in two houses in a residential neighbourhood of al-Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.
At least 36,801 Palestinians have been killed and more than 83,680 have been injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the health ministry in Gaza said in a statement on Saturday.
More than 70 Palestinians were killed and 150 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.
Israel’s centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has delayed a statement he was due to give later on Saturday where he was expected to announce his resignation from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government.
Last month, Gantz presented the conservative prime minister with a 8 June deadline to come up with a clear day-after strategy for Gaza, where Israel has been pressing a devastating military offensive against the ruling Palestinian militant group Hamas.
But following news that Israeli forces had rescued four Israeli hostages alive from Gaza, the minister’s spokespeople said his statement would be postponed. They did not give a new time for the address, in which political commentators in leading Israeli newspapers said he was expected to announce his resignation, Reuters reports.