How 'Israel's SAS' special forces rescue troops from the Gaza battlefield in just 60 seconds in death-defying missions under fire from Hamas
By Andy Jehring
Daily Mail
Dec 27, 2023
The secretive Unit 669 has saved hundreds of soldiers on over 500 ground and aerial deployments since October 7
An Israeli special forces hero has told of his death-defying missions into Gaza to rescue comrades under fire from Hamas.
Master Sergeant G is part of the secretive Unit 669 which has saved hundreds of soldiers on over 500 ground and aerial deployments since October 7.
The elite troops are trained to SAS standards but use their skills only to evacuate those injured in the most dangerous places imaginable. Dodging rocket fire to land in Gaza metres from terrorists in helicopters, they aim to be back on the aircraft with the casualty in under 60 seconds.
Other missions see them speed across the border in armed vehicles and drive into enemy fire to save the injured by land.
The Mail was granted exclusive access to the unit's base on Tel Nof Airbase near Rehovot, central Israel, where the 29-year-old we can only identify as MS G told of his incredible missions.
The elite troops are trained to SAS standards but use their skills only to evacuate those injured in the most dangerous places imaginable
Dodging rocket fire to land in Gaza metres from terrorists in helicopters, they aim to be back on the aircraft with the casualty in under 60 seconds
'Our job is to rescue Israeli soldiers or civilians anytime, anywhere, by air sea or land,' he said. 'It's rescuing Israelis that civilian rescue forces aren't able to get to, so they call in the best and the most elite rescue team in Israel.
'That's what the unit does every day, 24/7 around the year.
'Our motto is, 'Call upon me in times of trouble, I will be there for you and will rescue you'.'
Troops are on standby round the clock. Within 15 minutes of a call, they must be on the way to Gaza.
While they are paramedics, they are trained in Israel's ferocious Krav Maga martial art and are among the deadliest soldiers on the planet. In Gaza, Unit 669 must charge into oncoming fire and fight off Hamas.
'On a daily basis we enter in and out of Gaza,' MS G said. 'It's very, very difficult and challenging to land in urban territory where you have missiles shot during flight and landing.
'We challenge the air crews to the maximum because we want to get as close as possible to the casualty.
Other missions see them speed across the border in armed vehicles and drive into enemy fire to save the injured by land
The Mail was granted exclusive access to the unit's base on Tel Nof Airbase near Rehovot, central Israel, where the 29-year-old we can only identify as MS G told of his missions
While they are paramedics, they are trained in Israel's ferocious Krav Maga martial art and are among the deadliest soldiers on the planet. In Gaza, Unit 669 must charge into oncoming fire
'We meet our teams on the ground, we will land and we'll be able to bring multiple casualties out, sometimes in less than a minute. There is shooting sometimes a few metres from us. You're not sure if it's our soldiers or the terrorists.'
Thousands apply to join Unit 669 each year but only 50 make it through gruelling fitness tests. They then train for 18 months but just half will finish.
MS G did his mandatory national service with Unit 669 in 2018 and was a medical student set to get married when war broke out.
In the past three weeks, he has lost three younger comrades from the unit. MS G said the survivors 'cry together and then come back to base and get on call again. There will be a day at the end of the war to say goodbye properly'.
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