Which four individuals were saved by Israeli soldiers after being held captive in Gaza?

Last Saturday, Israeli forces successfully rescued four hostages who had been taken by Hamas during their attack on Israel on October 7th. These captives, who were taken from a desert rave near the border, had been enduring a terrifying ordeal for months. Among them was 25-year-old Noa Argamani, who had become a symbol of the ongoing hostage crisis.

In videos released by Hamas, Noa could be seen being forced onto a motorbike with her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, whose whereabouts were still unknown. In another video, she appeared thin and weak, speaking about other hostages being killed in airstrikes. And in a third video, her mother, who is battling stage four brain cancer, made a desperate plea for her release so she could see her daughter one last time.

Finally, after eight long months, Noa and three other men were rescued by Israeli forces. The other three hostages, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv, were also freed. Almog, a 21-year-old who had just finished his army service, was from a small town near Tel Aviv. Andrey, 27, had immigrated to Israel alone a year and a half earlier, and his mother had come to the country after his capture. Shlomi, 40, had gone to the festival with two friends who were tragically killed. He and his wife had been trying to start a family for 17 years.

Noa had been dating Avinatan for two years and they had planned to move in together in Tel Aviv. Avinatan, an electrical engineering major, had been hired by the international tech company Nvidia. Noa's friend, Yonatan Levi, described her as a smart and adventurous person who loved parties and traveling. They had met at a diving course in Eilat and had stayed in touch. A few months before her abduction, Noa had reached out to Yonatan for help with her mother's insurance claims.

The attack on October 7th had resulted in the deaths of over 350 people, making it the worst massacre in Israel's history. More than 1,200 people were killed in total, with 250 being taken as hostages. In a previous cease-fire, over 100 hostages, mostly women and children, were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. However, it is estimated that Hamas is still holding around 120 hostages, with 43 confirmed dead. Among the survivors are 15 women, two children under the age of 5, and two men in their 80s.

This rescue operation came during a major offensive by Israel in the central Gaza strip, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Palestinians. The war has been ongoing for several years, with over 36,700 Palestinians being killed so far. While the conflict continues, the rescue of these four hostages brings hope that more will be freed from the grasp of Hamas.

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