Four hostages kidnapped at the Nova music festival and held by militants in Gaza over the past eight months were rescued by Israeli forces on Saturday.
Since the Hamas-led terrorist attack on October 7, Israel has released only a small number of hostages by military force. Saturday’s rescues took place in Nuseirat, central Gaza, where health authorities reported that dozens of Palestinians had been killed.
Here is what we know about the four hostages brought back to Israel.
Noa Argamani
Noa Argamani, 26, was taken hostage during the October 7 attack alongside her boyfriend, Avinatan Or. Viral footage showed Ms Argamani being taken to Gaza on the back of a motorbike as she cried out in despair.
Ms Argamani and her boyfriend were kidnapped at the Nova music festival in southern Israel, where activists carried out brutal atrocities against revelers. The fate of Ms. Argamani’s boyfriend is unknown.
Ms. Argamani’s plight has received considerable attention, in part because her mother, Liora, suffers from brain cancer and her condition has deteriorated significantly in recent months.
“I don’t know how much time I have left,” the mother said last year. “I wish to see my Noa at home.”
Andrei Kozlov
Andrey Kozlov, 27, was working as a security guard at the music festival when he was arrested. He recently immigrated to Israel from Russia and resided in Rishon Lezion, a city in central Israel.
In January, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, told Hamas officials that the release of civilians captured in the October 7 attack, including Mr. Kozlov and two other Russian citizens, should be expedited, according to a press release from the Russian Foreign Ministry. foreign ministry.
In footage shared on social media on Saturday, Mr Kozlov could be seen smiling as he was escorted by troops from a military helicopter.
Almog Meir Jan
Almog Meir Jan, 22, was kidnapped a day before he was supposed to start a new job at a technology company, according to the Hostage Families Forum.
In December, Sky News aired an interview with his mother, Orit, who said her son called her on October 7 at 7:45 a.m. and described the chaotic scenes unfolding at the festival site.
“Mom, they closed the festival,” she remembers him saying. “There are rockets and shootings everywhere.”
On Saturday, images of Mr Meir Jan’s family celebrating the news of his freedom were shared on social media. “I’m so excited,” her mother said.
Shlomi Ziv
Shlomi Ziv, 41, worked as a security guard at the festival. He resides in Elkosh, a community in northern Israel, where he lived with his wife, Miran, according to the Hostage Families Forum.
