The Israeli Army has rescued four hostages in two places in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in the center of the Gaza Strip, where they have carried out intense attacks in which at least 210 Palestinians have died. The hostages rescued alive are Noa Argamani, 25, from Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, who were kidnapped by Hamas at the ‘Nova’ music festival on 7 October. “They are in good medical condition and have been transferred to ‘Sheba’ Tel-HaShomer Medical Center for further medical examinations,” the Army said in a statement.

Both President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have already spoken with the rescued hostage Noa Argamani, whose release was widely demanded by Israel for humanitarian reasons, since his mother is terminally ill with cancer.

“I embrace you on behalf of the entire nation of Israel,” Herzog told him, while Argamani said she was “very excited” and happy to speak in Hebrew again in his conversation with Netanyahu, released by his office. “In Hebrew and at home, which is also important. We did not give up on you for a moment. I don’t know if you believed it, but we believed it and I’m glad it happened,” the prime minister responded, to which who added: “

The operation was carried out between Army troops, Shin Bet agents and the elite Yamam police force, at two points in the heart of Nuseirat, where the Gaza Government denounced shortly before dozens of dead and injured in intense bombingsat least 210 at the moment.

Army spokesman Daniel Hagari indicated that during the operation the troops “faced threats,” and an agent of the Yaman force was seriously injured, confirmed the Police. “In a heroic operational activity, our fighters managed to free four hostages from Hamas captivity and return them to their home in Israel,” celebrated Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who followed the operation from the command room that was carried out. “under intense fire.”

For his part, the head of the opposition, the centrist Yair Lapid, also celebrated the return of the hostages, which he considered “a great light in the terrible darkness,” and congratulated the security forces for that “bold and brave operation.” . “It’s a miraculous triumph. Now, with the joy that floods Israel, the Israeli Government must remember its commitment to recover the hostages still being held by Hamas: those who live for their rehabilitation, those murdered for their burial,” demanded the Forum of Families of Hostages and Abductees. .

With this rescue, of the 251 kidnapped on October 7, 116 captives remain in the enclave, at least 40 of them dead according to Israel – more than 70 according to Hamas -; while there have been four other hostages for years, two of them dead. Since the war began, Israel and Hamas only reached a one-week truce agreement in late November, which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners; while now there is a proposal on the table announced by US President Joe Biden last week.

Besides, four hostages were freed by Hamas in October; seven rescued by the Army; while the bodies of 20 hostages have been recovered, three of whom Israeli troops killed by mistake. The last time Israel rescued hostages alive was in February in Rafah, when it freed two Argentine-Israeli men; as well as a soldier in the north of the Strip in November.

Last month Israel recovered the bodies of seven hostages in several operations in the Yabalia refugee camp, most of them also kidnapped at the Nova festival; and last week it confirmed the death of four hostages – all elderly men – who died in captivity, although their bodies are still being held in the Strip.

More than 200 Gazans killed and 400 injured in the operation

The Hamas government has reported that at least 210 Gazans were killed and more than 400 wounded in the Israeli operation to rescue four hostages in the Nuseirat refugee camp. These figures refer to the victims who arrived at the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, in the nearby city of Deir al Balah, and the small Al Awda maternity hospital, in Nuseirat.

“We condemn the aggression of the ‘Israeli’ occupation against civilians, children and womenand against safe homes in the Nuseirat camp and against the central government, and we hold the occupation and the US administration fully responsible for this catastrophic crime in which the blood of dozens of innocent civilians was shed,” the Executive of Hamas.

In this sense, the Hamas Government has warned that the situation at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital “It is catastrophic and extremely dangerous”given the large influx of patients it has received in recent days, in parallel with the tightening of the Israeli offensive in the center.

Netanyahu, after the rescue: “Israel does not surrender to terrorism”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that “Israel does not surrender to terrorism”, after the rescue of four hostages alive in a successful operation by security forces in Nuseirat. “Once again, they have shown that Israel does not surrender to terrorism and acts with boundless creativity and courage to bring home our abductees,” she said.

Furthermore, Netanyahu has also greeted “the brave fighters who risked their lives today to save lives,” says a statement from his office accompanied by a photo in which he is seen supervising the rescue operation in the command room together with the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, and the chiefs of the General Staff and the Shin Bet, among others. “We are committed to doing so in the future as well. “We will not give up until we complete the mission and return all our hostages home, both the living and the dead,” the minister promised.