Israeli Defense Minister: “Evidence shows the importance of ground operations”
Israel, which is at war with the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, announced on the 30th (local time) that it had rescued a female soldier who had been held hostage by Hamas.
According to The Times of Israel and the Voice of America (VOA), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Israeli military, and the intelligence agency Shin Bet issued a joint statement today and announced that they had rescued Private Ori Megidish, who had been held hostage by Hamas on the 7th.
According to the statement, Private Megidish was in good health and reunited with his family.
Private Megidish was held hostage by Hamas along with other unit members while at the Nahal Oz military base in the eastern Gaza Strip.
The IDF said Private Megidish was rescued during a ground operation last night, but did not disclose the specific rescue process.
The Times of Israel predicted that the IDF and Shin Bet would not release additional information about the rescue process in the future.
This is the first time that the Israeli military has rescued a hostage through an operation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the rescue of Private Megidish, saying, “It shows our determination to release all hostages.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “A request for a ceasefire is a demand for Israel to surrender to Hamas,” and rejected calls for a ceasefire to release prisoners and end the war.
Defense Minister Yoav Galland emphasized that the rescue of Private Megidish was proof that other hostages could also be rescued.
“This is a testament to our ability to reach the hostages, the importance of our ground operations, and our commitment to all of the hostages,” Gallant said.
However, he said the ongoing ground operations are “not easy.”
Minister Gallant said, “The enemy is resisting, but the IDF is carrying out operations accurately and resolutely based on the cooperation of ground forces and air forces and high-quality intelligence.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.