DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel on Saturday carried out its largest hostage rescue operation since the war with the Hamas militant group began Oct. 7, taking four to safety out of central Gaza amid the military's heavy air and ground assault. At least 210 dead Palestinians, including children, were brought to hospitals, a health official in Gaza said.
Israelis were jubilant as the army said it freed Noa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41, in a daytime operation in the heart of Nuseirat, raiding two locations at once while under fire. Andrey Kozlov, 27, left, and Almog Meir Jan, 22, kidnapped from Israel in a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, react Saturday after arriving by helicopter to the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel.
All four rescued hostages were well, the military said. They were taken by helicopter for medical checks and tearful reunions with loved ones after 246 days held. The operation was "daring in nature, planned brilliantly, and executed in an extraordinary fashion," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
A U.S. hostage cell provided advice and support throughout the process of locating and rescuing the hostages, according to a Biden administration official, who requested anonymity.
The hostage cells are multi-agency teams. The families of several Israeli hostages, who were rescued in Gaza, were reunited with their loved ones Saturday in Israel. Israeli aircraft hummed overhead as the bodies of 109 Palestinians includ.
