IDF Reports It Has Freed A Female Soldier Held By Hamas in Gaza

The Israeli Defense Forces reported Monday that they rescued a female soldier taken captive by Hamas and held in Gaza.

The successful rescue of PVT Uri Magidish, who is said to be in good condition, was part of a joint operation between IDF and Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, according to MSNBC.

Reporter Josh Letterman said Magidish was part of a group of soldiers and civilians kidnapped following the brutal Hamas attack of Oct. 7.

“Now, as far as we know, Andrea, this is the first Israeli soldier to be released since that terror attack,” Letterman said on Andrea Mitchell Reports. He continued:

We had those four civilians, the two Americans and the two elderly women who had been released. This is the first time that we know that a soldier has been released. Of course, this was not someone who Hamas voluntarily released like they did with those four civilians. This is someone, according to Israel, that they freed in a military operation, and so, Israel hoping that this is going to send a signal as they are getting all of this criticism, including in that video…showing some of the hostages currently detained that was released earlier today, about why more people haven’t been freed.

Letterman added, “We had heard earlier from Hamas, saying that they believed that about 50 of the hostages had already been killed in Israeli air strikes. That is something Israel has not confirmed. Something NBC news has no way to independently confirm, but it is a claim that Hamas has been making as they try to deter Israel from conducting these types of ground raids into the Gaza strip.”

Israel began ground incursions into the Gaza Strip last Friday.

Hamas released a video Monday that claimed to show three female hostages. According to ABC News, “One of the hostages speaks in Hebrew pleading for their release, blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and calling on Netanyahu to help free the hostages.”

Watch the clip above via MSNBC.