The four soldiers -- Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag -- were taken captive from Nahal Oz military base in Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.
Both the freed hostages were on medication that they may not have received during their two weeks of captivity.
Lt Col Hecht spoke as the Israel Air Force killed Merad Abu Merad, Hamas' head of aerial activity, in Gaza City, who it said was responsible for directing terrorists during the October 7 massacre of Israelis in the western Negev.
While many of them were engaged by Israeli forces, some managed to sneak back into Gaza with more than 200 civilian hostages.
However, the IDF strongly criticised the Hamas terror group for continuing to hold approximately 200 other hostages.
'We could hear from the phone the bombing and the shooting and the Arab screaming.'
'99.6 per cent is occupied by Arab countries in the Middle East; Israel occupies just 0.4 per cent of the entire Middle East.' 'That 0.4 per cent is also a big issue for them.'
