The report states that once Israeli forces confirmed the hostages’ location in Nuseirat, they built detailed replicas of the buildings to practice the rescue operation.
In the heart of the Gaza Strip lies the Nuseirat refugee camp, deeply embedded within Palestinian territory. It was within one of the bustling markets of this camp that Hamas held Israeli citizen Noa Argamani, a 26-year-old woman whose dramatic capture, captured on video, showed her pleading for her life as she was taken into Gaza.
Unbeknownst to Argamani and three other hostages, Israeli commandos had stealthily infiltrated the camp to initiate a daring rescue operation. This account, detailed by the Washington Post, reveals the meticulously planned and executed mission.
At 11 am on the day of the rescue, Israeli soldiers stormed the apartment where Argamani was held, declaring, “You are being rescued!”
The operation, which also liberated Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, was meticulously prepared for weeks. Involving thousands of troops, sophisticated technology, and precise coordination, Israeli intelligence, with US support, utilized digital analysis, drone surveillance, and intercepted communications to pinpoint the hostages’ location.
Following confirmation of the captives’ whereabouts in Nuseirat, Israeli forces meticulously replicated the building structures to rehearse the rescue. This preparation mirrored the legendary Operation Entebbe of 1976, executed in Uganda in response to the hijacking of an Air France flight. Despite the heightened risks associated with daylight raids, Israeli strategists deemed it the optimal window for surprise.
As dawn broke, the mission commenced, with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other officials overseeing from a command center. Special forces, concealed in civilian vehicles including a disguised truck and a loaded white Mercedes, approached the target zone. Eyewitnesses described sudden gunfire erupting as Israeli soldiers engaged Hamas militants.
Though Argamani was successfully rescued without alerting her guards, complications arose with the other hostages, escalating the operation into a full-fledged conflict. Despite the ensuing chaos, the rescue mission ultimately succeeded, retrieving the hostages. However, it came at a heavy cost, with over 270 Palestinians, including civilians, losing their lives, according to Gaza health officials.
The rescued hostages were swiftly evacuated to safety, with Israeli authorities hailing the mission’s success despite the toll. Among the 251 individuals captured by Hamas, Israeli forces have managed to free seven alive. Presently, 116 hostages remain in Gaza, with 41 presumed deceased by the military.
The conflict, deemed the deadliest in Gaza’s history, originated with a lethal Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,189 Israeli casualties and 252 hostages. Israel’s response has been relentless, with over 37,232 deaths reported by the Gaza Health Ministry, predominantly civilian.
