The Biden administration has called for Israel and Hamas to engage in negotiations and ceasefire talks after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) rescued four hostages.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan released a statement addressing the news that the IDF, Israel Security Agency (ISA), and the Israeli police had conducted a joint operation rescuing four hostages, who had been taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, from the Supernova Music Festival.
Sullivan noted in his statement that the United States government was “supporting all efforts to secure the release” of the remaining hostages held by Hamas, and went on to encourage efforts such as conducting “ongoing negotiations” and pointed to a “hostage release and ceasefire deal” that he said “has the full backing of the United States.”
“The United States is supporting all efforts to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas, including American citizens,” Sullivan said in his statement. “This includes through ongoing negotiations or other means. The hostage release and ceasefire deal that is now on the table would secure the release of all the remaining hostages together with security assurances for Israel and relief for the innocent civilians in Gaza.”
Four hostages, Noa Argamani, 25; Almog Meir Jan, 21,; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 40, were rescued in a joint operation conducted by the IDF, ISA, and the Israeli police, the IDF said in a statement on X.
Noa Argamani (25), Almog Meir Jan (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40) were rescued in a special operation by the IDF, ISA and Israel Police from 2 separate locations in the heart of Nuseirat after being kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival.
They are in good… pic.twitter.com/PnkjL4GRQz
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 8, 2024
Argamani has been one of the most widely recognized of the hostages after video footage surfaced of her abduction from the music festival.
The hostages were reported to have been rescued from two different locations “in the heart of Nuseirat,” a Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.
In the video footage of her abduction, Argamani can be heard screaming and attempting to reach for her boyfriend as she is seen being driven away on a motorcycle.
בלתי מעורבים עזתים או איך שאוהבים לקרוא להם ”חפים מפשע” חוטפים את בני הזוג נועה ארגמני ואבינתן אור
Non-involved Gazans or as they like to call them “innocents” kidnap the couple Noa Argamani and Ebintan Or pic.twitter.com/7t7glThb73
— ינון בן חמו – inon – إينون (@inonbh6) December 20, 2023
“They are in good medical condition and have been transferred to the ‘Sheba’ Tel-HaShomer Medical Center for further medical examinations,” the IDF added.
Hamas terrorists launched a land, sea, and air invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, leaving about 1,200 people dead and more than 250 people taken as hostages.
In response to the attack, Israel announced a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip, including launching a military offensive operation to destroy Hamas and to rescue the hostages.
While some hostages held by Hamas have been released and the bodies of others have been found, there are still roughly 130 hostages, 40 of whom are known to be dead while at least 60 are believed to be alive.
The news of the rescue comes as in recent weeks there has been increased pressure from the Biden administration and other Democrats for Israel to agree to a ceasefire. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller admitted to reporters that President Joe Biden’s recent three-pronged plan was “virtually identical” to Hamas’s own proposed plans.
Under Biden’s plan, there would be a “six-week ceasefire,” “negotiations would begin for a permanent ceasefire,” and there would be a program to rebuild Gaza.
Breitbart News outlined the plan’s three phases:
- A six-week ceasefire, in which some hostages would be released, including the five American hostages. Israel would release a certain number of Palestinian prisoners. Palestinian civilians would be able to return to their homes all over Gaza, and humanitarian aid would be surged into the territory for distribution to those civilians.
- Negotiations would begin for a permanent ceasefire, and the temporary ceasefire would continue even past the six-week deadline, as long as talks were ongoing. All remaining hostages would be freed if talks were successful.
- A program for the major reconstruction of Gaza would be implemented, and remains of dead hostages returned.
Israel has been conducting “limited operations in eastern Rafah,” Hamas’s last stronghold. Israel officials have cited the importance of entering Rafah in order to defeat Hamas terrorists and rescue the remaining hostages.
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