New details are emerging about Israel’s daring rescue of the four hostages, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) describing the daylight operation as a “high-risk, complex mission” with “surgical level precision”.
IDF Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said the operation was planned over weeks using “precise intelligence” and took place at around 11 a.m. local time in the center of Nuseirat in central Gaza.
Members of the national police’s special counterterrorism unit, Yamam, and Shin Bet operatives simultaneously stormed two Hamas buildings to rescue three male and one female hostages. Haghari said the soldiers had been undergoing rigorous training for weeks in preparation for the operation.
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Noa Al-Ghamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 41, and Andrey Kozlov, 27, were rescued in two separate locations during a complex daytime operation in the center of Nuseirat, central Gaza. (Israel Defense Forces)
Noa Al-Ghamani, 26, was rescued from one location, while Almog Meir Yan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 41, and Andrey Kozlov, 27, were taken from the second location. Al-Ghamani has been one of the most publicized hostages since video of his kidnapping was first released. In the video, he can be seen between two men on a motorbike, with one arm outstretched and the other holding him down, yelling, “Don’t kill me!”
Dramatic aerial footage of this morning’s rescue operation shows Meir Jan, Kozlov and Ziv running with Israeli forces to a waiting helicopter, which then ferried them to safety.
During the operation, Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora (36), a member of Yamam’s Special Counter-Terrorism Unit, was seriously wounded and later died from his injuries. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Haghari said fewer than 100 Palestinians were killed in the attack.
Hagari said Hamas was holding hostages in civilian buildings and that Israeli intelligence had been able to identify two buildings in Nuseirat with armed guards inside and where families were staying.
On the left, Noah Argaman embraces his father, on the top right, Andrey Kozlov disembarks from a helicopter, and on the bottom right, military leaders plan the operation. (Israel Defense Forces)
The buildings are about 650 feet apart, and Israeli forces decided to attack both buildings at the same time out of fear that if Hamas saw one building under attack, it would kill the hostages in the other building.
“This is a big risk. They may think we are preparing a new attack,” Hagari said. “They need to understand that they are moving the hostages from apartment to apartment.”
Haghari said the decision to carry out the operation during the day was also to provide an element of surprise that Hamas would not have expected.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant approved the hostage rescue operation, along with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Helge Halevi, IDF Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliba, and Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon (retired). (Ariel Hermoni/IMoD)
“During the daytime, we often take risks to keep the element of surprise, and we knew that would work to our advantage inside the apartment,” Hagari said. “We took them completely by surprise, but it was still tough,” he said.
The order to mobilize was given at 11 a.m. and the raid began 25 minutes later, he said.
Israeli forces exchanged gunfire with guards inside the building where the three male hostages were being held. Zmora was wounded in the exchange and later died in hospital, Hagari said.
“He was a warrior who gave his life to ensure the survival of the four hostages,” Hagari said of Zmora.
As the soldiers fled the building, they were hit by gunfire and rocket fire, which disabled their vehicle, and other forces rushed to their rescue, helping them escape.
The hostages were then taken to two helicopters, with the second helicopter picking up the three hostages and Zmora.
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Almog Jan Meir reunites with family (Israel Defense Forces)
Haghari said tension was high in the command room where the operation was being conducted as “hundreds of fighters” were mobilised in the area to carry out the operation.
“It’s like surgery and like brain surgery, you have to be very precise. Imagine this on a regular road with lots of people, trucks and cars going by,” Hagari said.
Haghari said fewer than 100 Palestinian casualties had been reported, but it was unclear how many of them were terrorists.
“But they were using civilians in collusion with the hostages. They were using civilians to open fire on the Israeli forces when they went outside. An operation at this level required a lot of firing and a lot of force. They had to fire from the air and from the streets,” Hagari said.
“Among the victims were terrorists. [prepared] They hit the targets we had and the Air Force bombarded them during the operation.”
Hagari said in preparation for the operation, the Israeli military had built mock buildings to practice attacks and collected intelligence in “various ways” to ensure the operation was successful.
Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora was killed during the raid. (Israel Defense Forces)
“We’ve tried to do it in the past but we never did it because we didn’t find the right conditions or the right leverage,” Hagari said.
“In the past, we have carried out more than three or four field operations. Special Forces units were waiting to storm the apartment, but we knew we didn’t have the power to do so, so we didn’t. This kind of operation is like a puzzle, with many small details.”
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“We don’t have all the links, but we need to make sure we have enough links to guarantee that.”
Defense Minister Yoav Galant called the operation one of the “most heroic and extraordinary operations” he had witnessed in his 47 years with the Israeli Defense Ministry.
“Our troops performed valiantly under heavy fire in the most complex conditions. [urban environment in Gaza]” Gallant said.
“I cannot recall ever completing an operation of this nature with such focus and with this level of cooperation and success.”
Fox News’ Yonat Frilling contributed to this report.
