Israeli authorities say Ori Megidish, captured by Hamas during its October 7 attack, has been returned home.
The Israeli military said a captive soldier held in the besieged Gaza Strip had been released as part of ongoing ground operations.
In a brief statement Monday, Israeli authorities said a female soldier named Ori Megidish had been released and was doing well.
“Last night, soldier Ori Megidish was released during a ground operation after being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7,” the army said in a statement.
“The soldier has undergone a medical examination, is doing well and has met her family. »
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a photo showing Megidish with his family, but the army did not provide details on the circumstances of his release. In recent days, Israel has intensified its ground raids on Gaza.
In a social media post, Energy Minister Israel Katz congratulated “the soldiers and commanders of the IDF and Shin Bet for this daring operation.”
The announcement comes hours after Hamas, the Palestinian armed group that governs Gaza, released a video showing three hostages still in captivity in Gaza.
More than 230 people, including Israeli soldiers and civilians as well as foreigners, were taken hostage during a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, according to Israeli authorities. Israel said more than 1,400 people were killed in the assault, most of them civilians.
After the attack, Israel launched a devastating bombardment of Gaza and cut off access to water, food, fuel and electricity for the Gaza Strip’s more than 2.3 million residents. , governed by Hamas since 2007.
Israeli airstrikes have destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed more than 8,300 people, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Israeli forces have also gradually intensified their ground operations inside Gaza over the past week.
Israeli tanks temporarily reached Salah al-Din Street on the outskirts of Gaza City on Monday, with video verified by Al Jazeera showing a tank blowing up a car as it tried to turn around and drive away. move away from the area.
The head of the Hamas government office, Salama Maarouf, said in a statement that Israeli tanks targeted two civilian cars and bulldozed a section of the road “before resistance forced them to retreat.”