The “cherry” units, who disguise themselves as Palestinians, both civilians and Hamas fighters, the informants on the ground, the confessions of prisoners and the electronic espionage, starting with the satellites, made available by the USA. Thus the Israelis managed to free four hostages. The operation, “Seeds of Summer”, was renamed Arnon, the name of Chief Inspector Zamora, the only Israeli casualty of the Yamam, the elite unit.
The blitz at 11 in the morning, to exploit the surprise effect of a raid in daylight and not at night, as is usually done, was carried out simultaneously on two residential buildings, one 200 meters from the other, in the camp-neighborhood of Nuseirat, in the center of the Strip. The attack teams had approached disguising themselves as refugees sheltering from Rafah, arriving in cars with mattresses on the roof, including some veiled women. And even Hamas fighters complete with identification badges, weapons and green Islamic bands, as the Times of Israel writes.
A specialty born with the “cherry” Duvdevan units commissioned by Ehud Barak for special missions behind the lines. The operatives, who speak perfect Arabic and have Palestinian features, are part of the legendary mixed’aravim unit of the 89th Oz Commando Brigade of the Israeli Defense Forces, but Shin Bet agents, internal intelligence and especially the Yamam assault teams.
«The preparation took some time. We need infiltrators among the Palestinians in Gaza or paid informants. And the interrogations of prisoners are also important – a veteran of the Italian special forces explains to Il Giornale – Once you have identified the objectives you must have the perfect mapping of where the hostages are kept and who the jailers are. And you can only get close if they mistake you for a Palestinian or even a militiaman.”
For each of the two targets, at least two teams were used in the raid, one assault team that had to free the hostages, another in cover. All around the security apparatus was ready to intervene, with hundreds of soldiers from the elite corps. The blitzes to free the hostages «must start with a simultaneous go on both targets. Otherwise you risk releasing one and killing the others.” The three men were held prisoner in Abdallah Ajamal’s apartment, with his family, who had described the massacre attack on 7 October as “a courageous operation”. A citizen journalist who collaborated once, five years ago, with al Jazeera and wrote for a Palestinian periodical.
The blitz was successful, but the situation worsened during the exfiltration. The vehicle with the three male hostages came under fire from Hamas, who blocked the vehicle. Chief Inspector Zamora was probably fatally shot at this juncture. The situation became dramatic not only with Hamas, but with half the neighborhood of the Nuseirat market rising up to stop the Israelis. The Israeli command unleashed hell to save the hostages and their liberators. Not only with targeted bombings by drones and helicopters, but with the intervention in the field of the parachute reconnaissance unit 669, the special aviation forces, Shaldag and the legendary Shayetet 13, the elite of the Navy.
The Israelis admit having killed around a hundred Palestinians in the furious battle, but sources close to Hamas speak of 274 deaths, without distinguishing between civilians and fighters. Military sources involved in the operation admitted: the mission was “narrowly successful”.
