A surprise action. Prepared for days, down to the smallest details, and approved on Thursday last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The air raid in recent days in Nuseirat Camp, which hit the top floor of a school managed by UNRWA, the United Nations Agency for the Relief and Employment of Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, causing over 45 dead and many wounded, it was nothing more than a “diversion”. An attack to facilitate the penetration of the territory by the men of the special forces, both Israeli and American, for the liberation of some hostages, who the Israeli secret services, with the “tip-off” of some local inhabitant, had reported to be precisely in Nuseirat.
And so, on Saturday morning, at 11 am, the operation began Arnon. Camouflaged in Arab clothing, in broad daylight to exploit the surprise effect, the special forces, with the support of the air force and artillery, freed four hostages. This is Noa Argamani, the twenty-six year old filmed on a motorbike with her kidnapper, whose photo went around the world, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir Jan and Andrey Kozlov, kidnapped on 7 October last year, on the border between Gaza and Israel , during the Nova Festival, the music and dance event for the Jewish anniversary of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the most important Jewish holidays, which turned into a massacre.
«This operation was a success. We are proud of what was done today – said IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari – saving and returning four hostages is a great joy. We will continue to do everything we can to return the other 120 hostages still held in Gaza. We are confident that we will achieve this goal.” “One way or another we will bring all the hostages home,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he left the Tel HaShomer hospital, a hospital in the Tel Aviv district, where he met the four freed young people and their families. . When I heard “the diamond is in our hands” I got excited. It is a heroic operation that will be remembered in the history of the courage of the people of Israel. But we paid a price – he concluded – commander Arnon Zamora (head of the Israeli anti-terrorism unit, ed.), was killed”. During the raid, while the fighters and helicopters fired wildly and the navy bombed, the special forces of the 7th Parachute Brigade killed three hostages, one of them an American citizen.
«Now, with the joy that sweeps over Israel, the government must remember his commitment to bring back all 120 hostages still held by Hamas: the living for rehabilitation, the dead for burial.” This was declared by the Hostages’ Families Forum. “I would like to commend the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and the Special Forces for the complicated and courageous operation which was impeccably planned and executed,” reads a note from War Cabinet Minister and centrist leader Benny Gantz. «Even today my thoughts are with all the families of the hostages. We are committed to doing everything we can to bring them home.”
Gantz, for the occasion, waived the press conference scheduled for last Saturday. But after just twenty-four hours, he backtracked, announcing his resignation from Netanyahu’s emergency government. He also leaves the other member Gadi Eisenkot. Leaving the coalition, the president of National Unity invites all members of the Knesset “who understand where we are going” to join him and “obey their conscience”. «I am committed, however – concluded Gantz – even from the opposition, to support every responsible plan, to support our fighters, Israeli society and every right move that the government will make. When we go to demonstrate, we will do so according to the law, out of solidarity and the desire to take a new path, not out of hatred. I invite the citizens of the country who serve to continue to show up.” Last month, Gantz went on television to issue an ultimatum to Netanyahu, threatening to withdraw from the coalition if an agreed vision for the Gaza conflict was not reached by June 8.
But returning to last Saturday’s operation, it represents the most important recovery of live hostages since the outbreak of the war, bringing the total number of prisoners saved to seven. On that tragic October 7, Hamas had kidnapped around 250 Israelis during its attack in southern Israel. About half were released during the week-long ceasefire in November. The authorities later said that around 120 hostages still remained in Hamas hands, of which a quarter were believed to be dead.
If Netanyahu underlines that “a price was paid” for their release, a very high “price” was paid above all by the inhabitants of the settlements of Nuseirat, Deir al-Balah and al-Zawaideh. The toll, for the release of the four hostages, led to the killing of 274 Palestinians, including 64 children and 57 women, and the wounding of over 600 people. The dead and wounded were transported by the dozens to the hospitals of Al-Awda in Nuseirat and the Martyrs of Al-Aqsa in Deir al-Balah. Innocent victims, with the sole guilt of living in that land. In the meantime, the overall toll is worsening: the number of Palestinians killed in the Strip rises to 36,731, while the wounded are 83,530, again according to Hamas.
The head of the political bureau of the Islamist movement, Ismail Haniyeh, accused Israel of carrying out a massacre against women and children. «Our people will not give up and the resistance will continue to defend our rights in the face of this criminal enemy” he wrote on Telegram, accusing the United States of being involved in the war crimes perpetrated in Gaza. The Palestinian president, Abu Mazen, for his part, called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, due to the “bloody massacre carried out by Israeli forces” in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
«News from Gaza of another massacre of civilians they are terrible, which we condemn in the strongest terms. The bloodbath must end immediately. The US three-phase plan is the way forward for a lasting ceasefire and an end to the killing.” The EU high representative, Josep Borrell, writes it on X.
A new mission for the US Secretary of State begins today Antony Blinken in the Middle East, to push negotiations towards a truce; but in the meantime, the Israeli offensive continues in Gaza, in particular in Rafah, target: a military complex used by the Tal as-Sultan battalion.
