The operation code-named “Seeds of summer” starts at 11 o’clock. The men of the elite Yamam units and those of the Shin Bet, the internal secret services, move in perfect synchronization on the two objectives, two hundred meters away from each other. Nuseirat. Two three- and four-storey buildings with peeling walls, in the center of the Gaza Strip. Inside, in two houses inhabited by apparently unsuspecting people, the drama of four hostages kidnapped on October 7th is taking place. Noa Argamani is locked up in one, the girl that the whole world saw, desperate and in tears, taken away on a motorcycle by her tormentors. In the other three other young men kidnapped, like Noah, at the “Nova musical festival” in the Negev are kept hidden.
Israeli hostages freed, the video of the helicopter taking off that takes them to safety
THE RAID
The action must take place absolutely simultaneously because even a small misalignment and a leak of information about the release of one of the hostages would entail serious risks for the lives of the others. The plan had been studied for several days. Information about the two apartments where the four were locked up had reached the ears of intelligence. Already on Thursday, in the imminence of the operation, the session of the war cabinet had been cancelled. Better to navigate underwater. Until yesterday morning: early in the morning the army chief of staff Herzi Halevi and the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, find themselves in the Special Operations room of the intelligence services to supervise every phase of the mission.
From a distance, the area is controlled by air and artillery means, and there are commando units that entered the enclave by sea. But in the intervention area, everyday life seems like the previous days. According to an indiscretion, the raiders of the Yamam brigade, the elite anti-terrorism unit, arrived hidden in a Palestinian transport truck in order not to arouse suspicion.
At the start, the soldiers reach the two houses at the same time. While the one hiding the Argamani is guarded by a smaller group of terrorists, a real war breaks out two hundred meters away. A very tough clash with the jailers, the number of deaths is very high: according to Hamas even higher than two hundred. The commander of the unit, Arnon Zamora, is seriously injured under a hail of shots while he and the three hostages try to reach the vehicle with which they are to leave the area. And the unexpected couldn’t be missed when the car hit by the gunfire gets stuck. They are taken to safety by the other soldiers present in the area who escort them towards an improvised pad on which an IDF helicopter is landing.
In the end, dozens of bodies and wounded militiamen and civilians remain on the field. Commander Arnon Zamora died shortly afterwards in the Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv where the four were taken. Their physical conditions appear apparently good, their psychological conditions will probably require long and delicate care after 246 days of very harsh imprisonment. They meet family members, receive phone calls from the head of state Herzog and a visit from Prime Minister Netanyahu who, speaking to Noa, tells her: “We never gave you up for lost, not even for a moment.” He then praises the action of the security forces and adds: «You have demonstrated once again that Israel does not surrender to terrorism and acts with creativity and audacity, without limits to bring our hostages home. We undertake to do so in the future until we have completed our mission”, responding in this way remotely also to the Forum of the families of the hostages which speaks of a “miraculous triumph” and asks him, in this moment of joy “to remember his commitment to bring back all 120 hostages still in Hamas hands. The living for rehabilitation, the dead for burial.” And President Biden promises: “We will not stop working until all the hostages return home and a ceasefire is reached.”
THE REACTIONS
On the beaches of Tel Aviv, crowded on the day of celebration, the news of the release of the hostages arrives through the loudspeakers to which the lifeguards entrust their communications and joy explodes with applause and improvised songs. Even Benny Gantz, minister of the war cabinet who seemed about to announce his resignation in controversy with Netanyahu, decides to postpone his decisions with “his heart swollen with joy” and as an old soldier exalts the “complicated and courageous” operation as soon as completed flawlessly. This is echoed by Defense Minister Gallant who speaks of a “complex and heroic” mission and announces: “We will continue to fight until everyone returns home”.
Hamas’ statements, however, are of a completely different nature. “We still have many hostages – he threatens – and the number could increase.” And Haniye: «Our resistance continues». PNA President Abu Mazen calls for an urgent UN meeting “to condemn the Nuseirat massacre”.
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