Israel Says Four Hostages Freed from Gaza

Facts

• Four Israeli hostages — Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv — have been rescued alive from two locations in a special operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the Israeli military said Saturday.¹
• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the hostages — who were kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova Music and Dance Festival during the Oct. 7 attack last year — were in 'good medical condition' and have been transferred to a hospital in Ramat Gan for medical checks.²
• The Israeli military added the rescue operation — which involved airstrikes — was conducted inside a residential complex, wherein armed Hamas militants had allegedly kept the Israeli hostages hidden among Gaza civilians.³
• They are the third rescued after IDF Corporal Ori Megidish was rescued last October from northern Gaza, and two others — Fernando Marman and Louis Har — were freed from southern Rafah in February. Some 116 remain in the besieged enclave, including 41 the Israeli army says are dead.⁴
• Meanwhile, Palestinian officials claim that the Israeli rescue operation in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 270 people.⁵
• This comes a day after an Israeli airstrike on a UN-run school in central Gaza killed more than 40 Palestinians, including children, and the UN added Israel to the global list of offenders who failed to protect children last year.⁶

Sources: ¹Timesofisrael, ²NPR Online News, ³Reuters, ⁴CNN, ⁵Independent and ⁶Guardian.

Narratives

• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Timesofisrael. Kudos to Israeli intelligence and special forces for the high-risk, complex, and heroic operation to rescue and reunite innocent citizens with their families after eight months. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must complete the mission and return home all the hostages — those alive for rehabilitation and the deceased for burial.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. It's the time to mourn and reflect, not celebrate — more than 100 innocent Palestinians have lost their lives amid heavy shelling and artillery fire to rescue four Israelis. Netanyahu should reach an agreement for a cease-fire and hostage release with Hamas to end the bloodshed in Gaza.

Predictions