Kim Hjelmgaard,Ken Tran,Jeanine SantucciUSA TODAY
Details about Israel Defense Forces' complex military plan in Gaza that rescued four Israeli hostages were still emerging Saturday afternoon as world leaders and family members celebrated. An Israeli official acknowledged "under 100" Palestinian casualties during the operation, while Hamas officials reported twice as many deaths.
The fourhostages, three men and one woman, werekidnappedby Hamas-led militantsfrom the Nova music festivalin southern Israelon Oct. 7last year. They were identified by Israel's Defense Forces asNoa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41.
The military said they appeared to be in good health and were being taken to a hospital for further health checks.
"They are back home in Israel. They are alive. They are well," Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a briefing. The hostages were freed from two separate houses in the residential neighborhood of al-Nuseirat, in central Gaza.
Gaza's Hamas-run government media office said 210 Palestinians died from Israeli bombardment the region. Israel's military spokesperson said Israel's military came under fire during the rescue, and forces fired back "from the air and from the street."
"We know about under 100 (Palestinian) casualties. I don't know how many from them are terrorists," Hagari said in a briefing with journalists. An Israeli special forces commander was also killed during the operation, a police statement said.
The hostages were rescued from two separate locations inthe central Gazaarea of al-Nuseirat in a daytime operation Saturday that took weeks to plan, but was only authorized in the last few days, according to Israel’s chief military spokesperson.
U.S. President Joe Biden celebrated the rescue Saturday and said the U.S. will continue working toward a cease-fire deal and the freeing of all hostages.
All four hostages were taken captive by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, when about 1,200 Israeli civilians were killed and an estimated over 250 were taken hostage. Israeli authorities estimate about 116 of the hostages are left in Gaza, 40 of whom are believed dead.
'Miraculous triumph': What we know about Israel's operation to rescue four hostages
In the devastating siege by Israel's military on Gaza that followed, over 36,800 Palestinians have been killed and 83,680 have been injured, the health ministry in Gaza said Saturday, including dozens who were killed and injured in the last day.
Latest developments:
∎ Paramedics and residents in Gaza said the fighting surrounding the rescue mission killed scores of people and left mangled bodies of men, women and children strewn around a marketplace and a mosque.
∎ Families of the eight American hostages still captive in Gaza praised the IDF for its rescue operation Saturday, and said in a statement: "Until every individual is safely returned home, our commitment and efforts must not waver. We urge President Biden, world leaders, and the international community to continue their relentless pursuit to return each hostage to their loved ones where they belong.”
∎ Colombia President Gustavo Petro said it will stop exporting coal to Israel, "until the genocide is stopped," in a social media post Saturday.
What we know about Israel's rescue operation
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a news conference described the raid as a "complex" daylight special operation involving hundreds of troops in coordination with police and members of the Shin Bet internal security agency.
Hagari said the mission was based on "precise" intelligence that was "very complex to obtain." He said that Israeli troops came under fire from Hamas while the operation was taking place and that one Israeli special forces soldier was badly wounded. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Israel has now rescued a total of seven hostages since Oct. 7. Saturday's rescue was Israel's third such operation since that date.Three Israeli hostages were mistakenly killed by Israel's military in Gaza in December.
Who is Noa Argamani?
Argamani was one of several hostages kidnapped from the Nova music festival in southern Israel when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
Argamani, a Chinese-born Israeli citizen, became one of the most prominent faces of the many hostages in Hamas captivity after the video of her abduction went viral across social media, showing her being driven away on the back of a motorcycle while reaching out to her boyfriend, Avinatan Or. Or is also believed to be among the hostages held in Gaza.
"Don't kill me!" she can be heard screaming to her kidnappers.
READ MORE: Who is Noa Argamani? The face of the hostages held in Gaza after Oct. 7
Biden, Macron praise rescue of hostages in Gaza
PARIS – Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday welcomed the news of the hostages' rescue Saturday.
“We won’t stop working until all of the hostages come home and a cease-fire is reached. It’s essential,” Biden said at a joint appearance with the French leader from Paris.
Macron also lauded the hostage rescue and called for a permanent political solution to the war in Gaza, which he said is the only way to achieve a lasting peace and security.
Biden is in the fourth day of a five-day trip to France, where he attended ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
– Michael Collins
Where does the proposed cease-fire deal stand?
U.S. President Joe Biden announced a three-phase cease-fire deal last week that he said was proposed by Israel.
The first phase would see Israel’s military withdraw from densely populated civilian areas in Gaza. Hamas would release an unspecified number of hostages along with the remains of killed hostages, and Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Biden said American hostages would also be included in this phase.
Hamas would then release all the remaining hostages in the second phase of the deal and Israel would withdraw from Gaza. The third phase would start reconstruction of Gaza.
After Biden’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered mixed signals regarding the proposal and Hamas said the deal that was relayed to them by mediators did not exactly match what Biden announced. Since then, the White House has heavily pushed for both parties to accept the deal.
On Saturday, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group will accept no deal that does not achieve security for Palestinians.
Who are the rescued hostages?
The Israeli Defense force rescued four hostages alive in a rescue operation conducted in a central area of Gaza, according to the IDF. The IDF identified the hostages as:
- Noa Argamani, 26
- Almog Meir Jan, 22
- Andrey Kozlov, 27
- Shlomi Ziv, 41
Contributing: Reuters
