Washington, June 9 (UNI) A team of US hostage recovery officials provided Israel with intelligence that helped locate and rescue four hostages held in the Gaza Strip, The New York Times reported, citing a US official.
On Saturday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) rescued four hostages who were kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7. The hostages are in good medical condition and have been transferred to hospital for further medical examinations, the IDF said.
In addition, teams of specialists from the United States and the United Kingdom provide intelligence to Israel gathered from air and cyberspace, the report said on Saturday, citing an Israeli official.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 36,500 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. A total of 120 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza, and about a third of them are believed to be dead.