According to Jennifer Master, the girlfriend of hostage Andrey Kozlov, the Israeli rescue operation started at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Gaza. Kozlov heard gunshots and was concerned for his safety.
Master recalled what Kozlov told her upon his return to Israel, as intense gunfire rang out. The first Israeli commandos he saw were dressed like women.
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“When Kozlov returned to Israel, he told me that the soldiers were dressed in women’s clothing,” she recalled.
Master, a U.S. citizen born in New York, recounted the moment when he was approached by soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. “And he looked at them, and they’re like, ‘Andrey. Andrey. We love you. Come, come, come with us,'” he said.
According to IDF officials, four Israeli civilians were rescued from two separate apartments in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in central Gaza, as a result of a covert military operation by Israel. The mission was carried out with utmost secrecy.
Kozlov, 27, was rescued along with three others who were abducted from the Nova music festival during the unexpected Hamas terror attack in Israel on Oct. 7. The other three individuals were Almog Meir Jan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 40, and Noa Argamani, 25, who was rescued from a nearby building.
International observers have scrutinized the operation in Nuseirat, with the United Nations human rights officials stating that Israel’s actions during the raid could be classified as war crimes. The IDF cited that it conducted airstrikes in response to being fired upon by Hamas from various directions.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concerns about the Israeli forces’ conduct during the raid in a densely populated area. The spokesperson questioned whether the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, which are outlined under the laws of war, were respected during the operation.
According to officials, the armed Palestinian groups may have committed war crimes as well. This is because they held the hostages and kept them in areas that were densely populated.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the operation resulted in the deaths of approximately 274 Palestinians, with hundreds more sustaining injuries. However, Israeli officials contest this figure, claiming that only around 100 individuals were killed.
According to his girlfriend, Kozlov has been describing his rescue as a rebirth experience. He has been reliving the intense moments from the raid repeatedly, although some of it has started to become hazy.
According to Master, Kozlov was under the impression that he was going to be killed when he first heard the shots being fired.
She explained that upon realizing it was the Israeli military, he came to understand that they had saved his life.
She added with gratitude, “Our lives were saved by them and we absolutely love them.”
According to Master, Kozlov had endured both physical and psychological torture during his captivity.
According to her, Kozlov’s captors were particularly tough on him because of his dual Russian-Israeli citizenship.
According to Master, the proximity of Russia to Hamas did not assist him, considering that he is Russian.
“The guards repeatedly questioned the terrorist about his motives for coming to Israel, asking why he would visit an occupied state. He was constantly reminded of his presence and the potential threat he posed.”
