ANOTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE HOSTAGE RESCUE MISSION

How Israel pulled it off: Hijab-wearing elite forces immersed with Gazans before daring rescue mission

According to Jewish Chronicle report, on May 12, Israeli intelligence uncovered information about the location of four hostages in the Nuseirat refugee camp area of the Gaza Strip. As a result, a Fauda-like immersion in the population began.

 

By Miri Weissman

 

Israel Hayom

June 13, 2024

 

 

 

A screen displays a picture of rescued Noa Argamani and her father in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 10, 2024 

 

A new report by the Jewish Chronicle shows the great lengths at which Israel reportedly went before deciding to launch the daring raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp, which culminated with the rescue of four hostages held by Hamas since Oct. 7.

According to the report, on May 12, Israeli intelligence uncovered information about the location of four hostages in the Nuseirat refugee camp area of the Gaza Strip. From that moment on, every Israeli intelligence branch focused their efforts around the clock to pinpoint the exact location. Undercover operatives, adept at blending into the local population, were dispatched to the Nuseirat market area. Their mission was twofold: to gather intelligence from residents and to verify information obtained through interrogations of detained individuals associated with Hamas.

Aerial observation and sophisticated technological means also played a crucial role in collecting intelligence, the British publication claims. After 19 days of intensive collaborative efforts, the various units managed to compile accurate intelligence about the locations where the Israeli hostages were being held. It was discovered that Noa Argamani, 26, was confined on the first floor of one building, while the three other hostages – Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40 – were held captive on the third floor of another building approximately 800 meters away.

According to the report, in early June, this intelligence was presented to the war cabinet, and the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the head of the Shin Bet security service were tasked with formulating a rescue plan. The information remained highly classified, with even senior commanders in Gaza unaware of the operation's details. As the war cabinet deliberated on the options, preparations and training for the rescue mission commenced.

To verify the intelligence and facilitate the operation, another team of undercover operatives infiltrated the Nuseirat refugee camp. When questioned by Nuseirat camp residents about their presence and intentions, the undercover operatives claimed to have fled from Rafah due to "deadly shelling from the Israeli army" and sought to rent a house in the area. They proceeded to indicate the building where Noa Argamani was being held captive. Offering a substantial sum, three times the typical rental rate, one local agreed to assist them, locating a suitable large residence within three hours on the street where Argamani was being held, approximately 800 meters from the second building housing the remaining three hostages.

Days later, after establishing themselves in the rented house, familiarizing themselves with the surroundings, and frequenting the local market without arousing suspicion, the undercover team initiated their mission to verify the hostages' precise locations. Dividing into two groups, the first team comprised two commandos, one disguised as a typical Gazan local and the other as a woman adorned in a long black dress and hijab. They confidently traversed the street, occasionally pausing at roadside stalls to feign interest in the merchandise while conversing fluently in Arabic with an authentic Gazan accent, lamenting the dire situation in Gaza. Four additional armed undercover operatives trailed behind, prepared to intervene.

The second team consisted of four female soldiers disguised as typical Arab women, one of whom feigned pregnancy, carrying plastic bags filled with food products and vegetables. Adhering to cultural norms prohibiting young Muslim women from walking unaccompanied, they proceeded in pairs toward a nearby residential building where the three male hostages were detained on the third floor. Four more armed undercover operatives followed closely behind to provide backup support. Concurrently, five other members of the undercover team remained at the rented house, standing guard and ensuring the teams' activities remained undetected and free from potential ambushes.

Three hours later, at the predetermined time, both teams reconvened at the rented residence to analyze the gathered information. It was now confirmed: the four hostages were being held in two separate homes belonging to Gazan families. The force commander relayed the verified locations to Israeli authorities. With the intelligence corroborated, the cabinet authorized the rescue operation. On Thursday, June 5, the undercover teams were ordered to depart the area discreetly, though four operatives remained to monitor the buildings and ensure the hostages were not relocated.

After IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light, senior Israeli commanders and other cabinet members were finally informed about the operation.

On the morning of June 6, 28 commandos from the elite Yamam unit began their covert journey towards the two target buildings in Nuseirat, concealed in trucks to maintain the element of surprise. At precisely 11 am, they received the order to storm both locations simultaneously in a coordinated assault, preventing the captors from endangering the hostages or jeopardizing the operation. A contingent of the commandos utilized a ladder to gain direct entry into the room where the three hostages were being held. Simultaneously, the remaining force made their way into the building through the main entrance, ascending the stairs.

The rescue of Noa Argamani proceeded smoothly, with the Israeli soldiers neutralizing the guards and extracting her unharmed within six minutes. She was swiftly transported by helicopter back to Israel. However, the operation to rescue the remaining three hostages in the second building encountered fierce resistance.

The three men were being held in the home of Dr. Ahmed al-Jamal, a Hamas activist, where his son, Abdullah, a journalist for Al-Jazeera, was also present. The undercover teams who had relayed the intelligence regarding the hostages' location to Israel were unaware of the presence of approximately 30 armed individuals within the apartment. It is believed that these individuals arrived at the apartment either that same morning or the previous night with the intent of fortifying the security detail guarding the three captive hostages.

 

Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were shocked, silent and not sure who to trust when the commandos burst into their room

 

Despite this deadly and unanticipated development, the seasoned Israeli commando fighters remained undeterred, engaging the armed individuals in determined close-quarters combat, bolstered by the support of additional fighters stationed outside the apartment. To ensure their safety during the intense firefight, the three hostages took refuge in the apartment's bathroom, shielded by several Israeli fighters. Exiting the apartment was impossible due to the overwhelming volume of unanticipated gunfire, as such a maneuver could have jeopardized the lives of the hostages. Amid this unexpected onslaught, Commander Arnon Zemora was critically wounded while leading the assault team.

After an extended battle, the Israelis succeeded in eliminating all threats within the apartment. However, their extraction was hindered by additional armed individuals emerging from nearby tunnels, unleashing a barrage of machine-gun fire and RPGs. As the Israeli forces, carrying the wounded Zemora, attempted to reach their rescue vehicle, it was struck by two RPGs.

With the primary escape route compromised, the operation's commander in Israel activated a contingency plan. In a daring maneuver under intense enemy fire, tanks and hundreds of soldiers from the Golani and Givati infantry brigades, as well as paratroopers, charged into the refugee camp on foot. Supported by naval ships and air force helicopters, they engaged in fierce close-quarters battles with Hamas operatives, isolating the combat zone and securing a safe evacuation route for the hostages and main force.

At the conclusion of the grueling battle, the Israeli forces had neutralized all armed threats in the area. While Hamas claimed that 274 Palestinians were killed during the operation, the IDF stated that 104 Palestinians were either killed or wounded, all of whom were Hamas operatives or armed collaborators.

The three rescued hostages, who had remained composed throughout the ordeal, were swiftly evacuated by helicopter, while the building they had been held in was destroyed by airstrikes. The special forces soldiers then boarded helicopters and returned to Israel, attempting to revive Zemora during the flight, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.