Israeli forces rescued several hostages held in Gaza through distinct operations. The cases include surveillance soldier Ori Megidish in October 2023, Fernando Marman and Louis Har in February 2024, and four captives—including Noa Argamani—in June 2024. Other hostages were released through agreements or different circumstances, so Megidish was not the first hostage to leave captivity.
Ori Megidish, October 2023
The IDF says Private Ori Megidish was rescued in an operation with the Israel Security Agency on October 30, 2023, during the ground operation. An IDF retrospective identifies this as the first rescue operation carried out by Israeli forces. Two American hostages had already been released by Hamas on October 20, so Megidish was not the first hostage released overall.
Marman and Har, February 2024
On February 12, an operation in Rafah involving the IDF, Israel Security Agency, and Israel Police rescued Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70. The IDF announcement says both were taken from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7 and transferred for medical examination after the rescue.
Four captives rescued in June
On June 8, 2024, Israeli forces rescued Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv from two locations in Nuseirat. The IDF's Operation Arnon release records the four names and notes that Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora was fatally wounded during the mission. The operation involved Israeli security forces and was conducted in a densely populated area, creating serious danger for the teams and hostages.
These official accounts establish who was rescued and when, while avoiding tactical claims that have not been made public. Rescues depended on intelligence and carried operational risks; they were only one route by which captives returned. The negotiated release process is described in how Qatar and Egypt mediated releases.