IDF rescues soldier held hostage by Hamas

Private Ori Megidish, an IDF soldier, was rescued during the IDF's operation in Gaza on Sunday night, the IDF and Shin Bet said in a joint statement on Monday.

She was kidnapped by the Hamas terrorists on October 7 and has now been reunited with her family.

A subsequent medical examination administered to Megidish has determined that she is healthy.

The statement noted that the IDF and Shin bet will continue to make every effort to secure the freedom of the remaining hostages.

The #Israeli hostage rescued by the IDF from #Hamas in #Gaza is reunited with her grandmother. May all the remaining Israeli hostages come home soon! pic.twitter.com/0WZvhKkE9z

— Michael Freund (@msfreund) October 30, 2023

Responses from Herzog and Netanyahu

President Isaac Herzog was quick to express his happiness for Megidish's rescue in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday night.

"I was moved to see the soldier Ori Megidish return home to her loving family after a daring operation by the IDF and Shin Bet," Herzog wrote. "Our security forces operate around the clock in Gaza, in the north, in Judea and Samaria, and everywhere, on land, in the air, and at sea."

התרגשתי לראות את החיילת אורי מגידיש שבה הביתה אל משפחתה האוהבת, לאחר מבצע נועז של צה"ל ושב"כ. כוחות הביטחון שלנו פועלים מסביב לשעון בעזה, בצפון, ביו"ש ובכל מקום, ביבשה באוויר ובים; במסירות אינסופית, תוך סיכון חיים, בתחושת שליחות ואהבת העם והמדינה. אנחנו מחזקים אותם, מגבים אותם…

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) October 30, 2023

"Last night, our forces freed Private Ori Megidish from Hamas captivity. O)ri was abducted on the dark morning of October 7th," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Welcome back home, Ori. I commend the Shin Bet and the IDF for this significant and emotional achievement, an achievement that reflects our commitment to bringing all the captives home. All of Israel pays tribute to the Shin Bet and the IDF. To the Hamas terrorists and to ISIS, I say - you are monsters. We will continue to pursue you, we will continue to hunt you down. We will strike you until you yield from our grip."

אמש שיחררו כוחותינו משבי חמאס את החיילת טוראי אורי מגידיש. אורי נחטפה בבוקר השחור של ה-7 באוקטובר. ברוך שובך הביתה, אורי. אני מברך את השב"כ ואת צה"ל על ההישג החשוב והמרגש הזה, הישג המבטא את המחויבות שלנו להביא לשחרור כל החטופים. עם ישראל כולו מצדיע לשב"כ ומצדיע לצה"ל.… pic.twitter.com/OlwyPkLKyS

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 30, 2023

In response to the liberation of the IDF soldier, Hamas stated on its Telegram channel that the news was an intentional distraction from the hostage video released by the terror organization earlier on Monday.  

"Regarding the allegations by the Zionist terrorist occupation about the release of a female soldier, we affirm that such an announcement aims to divert attention from the video of the captured women that Al-Qassam Brigades broadcast today, which has caused significant shock within the Zionist society," the statement read.

Celebrations erupted around Megidish's house in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat. A crowd gathered around the residence and neighbors and revelers sang songs and set off fireworks.

"It's like another birth," Israeli media quoted a neighbor of the family, Itamar Trobek, as saying. "We are very happy. We saw the family, they weren't the same as yesterday. We prayed a lot."

This is a developing story