“Forced to speak in a whisper”

“They were forced to speak in hushed tones,” said Michael Kozlov, whose son was one of four hostages dramatically rescued from Hamas captivity by Israeli special forces in central Gaza on Saturday.

For the parents of Russian-Israeli Andrey, this was simply a “miracle.”

In an emotional interview with the BBC, Eugenia Kozlov and Michael Kozlov told the emotional story of how they heard the news of their son’s release and the ordeal he had endured for eight months.

Body camera footage released by the Israeli military showed Andrei, 27, and another hostage raising their hands in fear and hiding behind mats after rescuers burst into the room where they were being held.

Incredibly, after months of their captors trying to brainwash them, his mother Eugenia Kozlova said the hostages had no idea whether the plan was to “kill or save” them.

The men were told that the Israelis had forgotten about the captives, that they were considered a problem by the Israeli authorities and that they would likely be targeted for removal if their presence was discovered.

Michael Kozlov said his son and other hostages were told to keep their voices down because, according to their guards, “a special reconnaissance aircraft – a drone – was listening and could be heard What they said in Hebrew”.

“It caused such deep psychological trauma that it forced him to take their word for it to some extent,” Mr Kozlov added.

“He was lost until he realized he had been saved.”

Andrei and three other people rescued from the Nuserat refugee camp in Gaza, Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan and Shlomi Ziv. Shlomi Ziv) was kidnapped on the morning of October 7th at the Nova Music Festival. He moved to Israel from Russia 18 months ago, where he worked as a security guard.

Eugenia Kozlova, who lives primarily in St. Petersburg, comes to Israel regularly to attend hostage family gatherings and meet with politicians and military representatives, and she was there when Israeli officials called her with news about her son. Getting ready to fly back to Tel Aviv.

“I thought it was bad news and I started yelling, ‘No!’ and I threw the phone away and it fell somewhere under the table,” she recalled.

“I heard them yelling from under the table: ‘We have good news!’

“I crawled under the table. ‘What are you talking about?’

“Very good news: Andrei has been released. My English is not very good. I asked them to repeat it.”

When they first saw Andre on video, both were worried about what he would look like, but were relieved when they discovered he looked like himself.

“He laughed, he joked. Just three hours after he arrived in Gaza, he managed to make a joke,” his mother said.

“He was in prison, he was a prisoner, and then after a few hours he found himself back in Israeli territory,” she added.

The Kozlovs did not elaborate on what their son said about the circumstances of his rescue. Three male hostages were involved in a gun battle with Hamas guards after being rescued from a family apartment in a refugee camp in the city of Nuserat, the Israeli military said.

Later, a truck used to evacuate the hostages and a seriously wounded special forces officer broke down and was surrounded by armed men, according to Israeli officials. The Israeli air force’s heavy bombardment was intended to give rescuers time and cover to escape.

Health officials in Gaza said it was one of the deadliest incidents since the war began, with more than 270 Palestinians killed.

The Israeli military said the death toll was less than 100. It holds Hamas responsible for civilian deaths because it hides hostages in densely populated areas.

“His hands and feet were tied for two months,” his mother said, her voice shaking. Since Andre hated eating “like an animal,” he would try to twist his hands and take them away from his back.

“When his hands were finally tied in front, he regarded it as a gift from Gaza,” his father added.

Michael Kozlov went on to say that the hostage-takers “humiliated and beat them,” but the worst part remained the cruel taunts.

“They were always under psychological pressure. ‘Your mother has gone on vacation to Greece. We know. We saw. Your wife is seeing someone else,'” Eugenia recalled.

Reaction to the dramatic rescue operation was overwhelming across Israel.

“People were leaning out of the car, shouting and greeting Andrei. Now we’re watching the news, and I’m amazed that the release of the four hostages has become a celebration across Israel,” Eugenia said.

Israel is still reeling from Hamas-led attacks that killed some 1,200 people eight months ago. In November, more than 100 of the more than 240 hostages held and taken to Gaza were released during a week-long ceasefire. Israel stated that 116 hostages kidnapped that day are still in Gaza, and about one-third of them have been determined to no longer exist.

Before Saturday’s rescue, only three Israeli hostages held in Gaza had been freed as a result of the military’s ground assault, and the success of the latest operation has given the country a boost.

For Eugenia – who already knew many of the hostages’ relatives – it was a constant reminder of how lucky she was. Around Tel Aviv and near Andrei’s home in central Israel, there are many posters of those who are still missing.

“I feel very sad looking at these portraits,” she said. “They’re everywhere. Now I look at their faces and I feel like I feel guilty because we understand so much and we tell each other several times a day that it’s a miracle!”

Despite everything their son had suffered, the Kozlovs were inclined to believe his guards, who told him he was in a better situation than many other Israeli hostages – locked up in underground tunnels with no light.

“We are constantly thinking about those who are still there. We must save them,” Michael stressed.

While they haven’t given up on fighting for the hostage’s rights, Andre’s family is now investing a lot of energy in helping him adjust to life in his hometown after undergoing a medical examination and being released from the hospital.

After 245 days in captivity, he is still following developments, including massive demonstrations calling on the Israeli government to bring the hostages home.

“He’s surprised by a lot of things, and then news he doesn’t know sometimes keeps him awake,” his mother said.

Then he read some articles and said, “Is this true? Is this true? Has it ever happened?”