With a blitz in the center of the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces rescued four hostages held captive by Hamas since 7 October. The operation, code name “Summer seeds”, saw the participation of Idfof the special anti-terrorism unit of the police Yamam and the security services of the Shin Bet.
According to what was reported by Times of Israel, after planning that lasted weeks and took place with the support of the American 007, at 11.00 in the morning of Saturday 8 June the order was given to raid two multi-storey buildings in the Nuseirat camp, where Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv. The two structures were approximately apart 200 meters from each other and the decision to attack them simultaneously was made out of fear that terrorists might kill the hostages once they realized a rescue operation was underway.
Noa was kept alone in the home of a Palestinian family, monitored by Hamas guards. Her recovery went smoothly. The other three, however, were prisoners in another house where a heavy clash occurred, during which the Yamam chief inspector was seriously injured. Arnon Zamora, commander of the rescue team. The officer later died in hospital. As police and Shin Bet operatives were moving away from the area, their vehicle came under enemy fire and stalled. IDF units quickly reached their position to rescue them and take them to a hospital heliport of luck in the Strip.
Hamas terrorists continued to target soldiers and hostages with light weapons and rocket launcher RPGso much so as to force the ground forces and the air force to carry out heavy bombings aircraft and artillery. The army acknowledged killing many Palestinian civilians during the fighting, but blamed terrorists who held hostages in areas densely populated with innocents. During the extraction of Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv, loaded aboard a helicopter, Hamas men launched several rockets in an attempt to to break down the aircraft, without success.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and War Cabinet member Benny Gantz praised the soldiers and agents involved in the
blitz, calling it “aheroic operation”. Congratulations also came from Israel’s allies, in particular from US President Joe Biden currently visiting Paris.
