Israeli spies went undercover in Gaza to find hostages captured by Hamas

New Delhi:

The Nuseirat refugee camp is located in the middle of the Gaza Strip, inside the Palestinian territory. It was in one of the countryside’s many markets that Hamas held hostage Israeli Noa Argamani, a 26-year-old woman who was dramatically captured on video begging for her life as she was taken to Gaza. Unbeknownst to Argamani and three other hostages in the area, Israeli commandos infiltrated the camp to launch a daring rescue operation to free them, according to a report from the Washington Post it says.

At 11 a.m. on the day of the rescue, Israeli soldiers burst into the apartment where Ms. Argamani was being held, declaring, “You are being rescued!”

The rescue mission, which also freed Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, was marked by intense preparation and military involvement. Planned for weeks, the operation involved thousands of soldiers, advanced technological support and precise execution, the report states. Israeli intelligence, with US assistance, analyzed digital data, drone footage and communications intercepts to locate the hostages.

According to the report, upon confirming the location of the hostages in Nuseirat, Israeli forces built detailed models of the buildings to rehearse the rescue. According to the report, this preparation echoed the famous 1976 Operation Entebbe, an anti-terrorism operation in Uganda launched in response to the hijacking of an international civilian flight operated by Air France on its route from Tel Aviv to Paris. Although the daytime of the attack posed greater risks, Israeli military strategists considered it the best chance for surprise.

At dawn, the mission began. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other senior security officials monitored from a command room. Undercover special forces in disguised vehicles, including a truck imitating a civilian commercial vehicle and a white Mercedes loaded with furniture, approached the target area. Eyewitnesses described the sudden eruption of gunfire as Israeli soldiers clashed with Hamas militants, the report claims.

Despite initial success in rescuing Ms. Argamani without alerting her guards, complications arose with the other hostages. A shootout broke out, turning the covert attack into an all-out conflict. The rescue, although successful in recovering the hostages, left a trail of devastation. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 270 Palestinians were killed, including civilians caught in the crossfire.

The rescued hostages were eventually taken to a safe location, and the success of the mission was hailed by Israeli authorities, despite the high price.

Among the 251 people captured by Hamas, seven captives were released alive by Israeli forces. Currently, there are still 116 hostages in Gaza, including 41 who the army believes are dead.

The conflict, the deadliest in Gaza’s history, began with a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,189 Israeli deaths and the taking of 252 hostages. Israel’s response has been relentless, with the Gaza Ministry of Health reporting more than 37,232 deaths, most of them civilians.