Four hostages kidnapped at the Nova music festival who had been held by Gaza militants for the past eight months were rescued by Israeli forces on Saturday.
Israel has used military force to rescue only a handful of hostages since the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7. Saturday's rescue took place in Nusserat in central Gaza, where health officials reported dozens of Palestinians were killed.
Here's what we know about the four hostages who were brought back to Israel.
Noah Agamemani
Noa Argamani, 26, was taken hostage along with her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, in the attack on October 7. Videos circulating online showed Ms. Argamani screaming in despair as she was brought into Gaza on the back of a motorcycle.
Ms Algamani and her boyfriend were kidnapped at the Nova music festival in southern Israel, where armed men carried out a brutal rampage against partygoers.
Ms. Algamani’s plight has attracted considerable attention, in part because her mother, Liora, suffers from brain cancer and has been seriously ill in recent months.
“I don’t know how long I have left to live,” his mother said last year. “I want to see my Noah at home.”
Andrei Kozlov
Andrei Kozlov, 27, was working as a security guard at the festival when he was abducted. He had recently immigrated to Israel from Russia and was living in the central Israeli city of Rishon LeZion.
In January, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Hamas officials that the release of civilians captured in the Oct. 7 attack, including Kozlov and two other Russian citizens, should be expedited, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Videos shared on social media on Saturday showed Kozlov smiling as he was escorted by a military helicopter.
Almog Meir Jan
According to the Hostage Families Forum, 22-year-old Almog Meir Jan was kidnapped the day before he was to start a new job at a technology company.
In December, Sky News broadcast an interview with his mother, Orit, who said her son called her at 7.45am on October 7 to describe the chaotic scene at the festival.
“Mom, they’ve closed the festival,” she recalled him saying. “There are rockets and gunfire everywhere.”
Videos of Mr Young's family celebrating his release were shared on social media on Saturday. “I'm so excited,” his mother said.
Shlomi Ziv
Shlomi Ziv, 41, worked as a security guard at the festival. He lived in the northern Israeli neighborhood of Elkosh with his wife, Milan, according to the Hostage Families Forum.
