Andrey Kozlov reunited with his mother
Andrey Kozlov, 27, who was rescued yesterday in a daring raid in central Gaza, was reunited with his mother, Yevgenia, today at Sheba Medical Center. Yevgenia and his father, Mikhail, arrived in Israel on Sunday morning, having flown in from Russia. In an emotional scene, Kozlov was seen collapsing to the floor, overwhelmed with tears upon seeing his mother.
Yevgenia, brimming with joy, remarked, "I am the happiest. We've spoken with Andrey, and he looks and feels fine, he's even joking."
The Kozlovs, who live in Russia, departed from Saint Petersburg the previous night. The Israeli Foreign Ministry revealed that the staff at the Israeli Consulate General in the city quickly mobilized to assist Andrey's parents once they learned of the release of the hostages. Consul Tal Schwartzman personally escorted them to the airport.
At Sheba Medical Center, the Kozlovs expressed heartfelt gratitude to the people of Israel. Mikhail, Andrey's father, extended thanks to the family of Commander Arnon Zamora, who was tragically killed during the operation, and to the security forces involved. "Andrey is in relatively good condition; he talks and shares with us what happened," Mikhail said. The parents noted that the thought of his family and his partner, Jennifer, waiting for him kept Andrey going during his captivity. "Every day, he thought about his family."
Andrey was rescued yesterday morning along with Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, in a complex operation involving multiple Israeli security forces, including the National Counterterrorism Unit. The four were abducted from the Nova party in Re'im, where they were either working or enjoying time with friends. Following their rescue, they were transferred to Sheba Medical Center, where the IDF confirmed their medical condition as stable.
Andrey had been working as a security guard at the party in Re'im. He moved to Israel from Russia about a year ago and had been living with friends. Contact with him was lost on Saturday morning after he urgently messaged friends about terrorists infiltrating the area, stating he had nowhere to escape. Three weeks later, his family received the devastating news of his kidnapping to Gaza. His mother then traveled from Russia to Israel to advocate tirelessly for his release.