'We will not surrender': Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh defiant as Israel rescues 4 hostages

The terrorist group Hamas has vowed to keep fighting after Israel rescued four hostages.

Earlier in the day, Israel announced that it has rescued four hostages from two locations in Nuseirat in Central Gaza. They were among more than 250 people abducted by Hamas during its October 7 attack and taken to Gaza as hostages.

After the Israeli military announced the rescue on Saturday, Qatar-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the group will never surrender.

“Our people will not surrender, and the resistance will continue to defend our rights in the face of this criminal enemy and if the occupation believes that it can impose its choices on us by force, it is delusional, and the movement will not agree to any agreement that does not achieve security for our people first and foremost,” said Haniyeh in a statement, according to The Jerusalem Post.

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Haniyeh went on to claim that the Israeli military was carrying out massacres in Gaza, including in Nuseirat from where the four hostages were rescued.

“[Israel] continues the massacres against our people, children and women, the chapters of which are now taking place in Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah,” said Haniyeh, as per The Post.

Rare moment of unity as 4 hostages return home

The day marked a rare moment of unity in Israel as the nation largely welcomed the return of four hostages.

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For several months, Israel has been weighed down by the failure of the war, deep domestic divisions, and ever-increasing international isolation where it is losing allies and is being indicted by every institution from the United Nations (UN) to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

At such a time, the news of the rescue of four hostages has served as a rare moment of unity.

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

Previously, War Cabinet Minister Banny Gantz was to announce his resignation from the government in a speech in the evening, but he postponed the resignation in the wake of the new of the rescue of the hostages.

Among the hostages rescued is 25-year-old Noa Argamani who was abducted from the Supernova music festival near Re’im in southern Israel. The music festival was the sight of the worst massacre of Hamas where hundreds were killed and abducted. Her video from the time of her abduction was also shared widely around the time of the Hamas attack. A Hamas terrorist was seen forcefully taking her away on a motorcycle.

ISRAELIS ABDUCTED FROM NOVA FESTIVAL

Video taken by Hamas terrorists showing Noa Argamani and her boyfriend taken hostage from Nova Festival

Streamed by Hamas on October 7th 2023
#HamasAtrocities #HamasislSIS #HamasMassacre pic.twitter.com/3MfKtgwHbV

— Hamas Atrocities (@HamasAtrocities) October 31, 2023

Other rescued hostages have been identified as Almog Meir Jan (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40). They were also abducted at the music festiaval.

An officer of the Israeli police’s counter-terrorism force was killed in the rescue operation.

The ground operation to rescue the hostages was accompanied by an aerial bombardment campaign in the area.

This is only the third instance where Israeli forces have managed to rescue hostages, according to The Times of Israel.

The paper said that Ori Megidish, a soldier, was rescued in December. Then, two hostages identified as 61-year-old Fernando Marman and 70-year-old Louis Har were rescued in February.

The Israeli military’s failure to rescue hostages so far has greatly scarred its reputation. The failure to defeat Hamas so far and check the policing the failure to check the resurgence of Hamas in areas previously cleared of the terrorist group’s control also continue to plague the Israeli military operations in Gaza.