'Every second an eternity': Inside the high-stakes hostage rescue in Gaza - analysis

The operation by the 98th Division in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Saturday, appeared to be a standard military maneuver.

However, it was a strategic diversion designed to facilitate a high-stakes rescue mission. As forces secured the hostages, a report emerged of fighters stranded deep within a refugee camp, necessitating an urgent rescue. Three bodies were eventually transferred to Israel for examination, with speculation that they could be the hostages.

Walla revealed that the 98th Division, commanded by Brig.-Gen. Dan Goldfus, orchestrated this diversionary operation to rescue four hostages in Nuseirat. The primary objective was to distract Hamas commanders, preventing them from realizing the IDF's simultaneous raids on two distinct locations within the refugee camp in central Gaza.

Details emerged that as Yamam (Israel’s elite counter-terrorism unit) and operational unit fighters secured the hostages and relayed the success over the communication network, a distressing report hit the command center: one of the Yamam vehicles was immobilized in the heart of Nuseirat, requiring immediate aid.

This prompted a rapid, multi-force rescue operation involving the Southern Command, the 98th Division, the Air Force, and the Navy, all mobilized to extricate the hostages and stranded fighters amidst ongoing combat.

The meticulous planning by the 98th Division involved rehearsing several extreme scenarios, selecting an escape route with precision, and preparing for heavy fire support, which was crucial for extracting the force from a hostile environment.

Hostage rescue under fire

"It's an area teeming with armed men; every second felt like an eternity," a military source recounted. At the operation's conclusion, three bodies were returned to Israel for identification, with uncertainty about whether they belonged to Hamas operatives or the hostages.

The rescue helicopters, landing under fire in Gaza, faced intense opposition. Now released hostage Noa Argamani was held in one apartment, while the other three hostages were confined in another, just 200 meters away. The assailants attempted to thwart the rescuers with close-range gunfire and an anti-tank missile. The entire mission lasted an hour, with the critical engagement spanning only a few minutes.

Southern Command officials noted the unprecedented nature of this daytime operation in an area previously untouched by IDF maneuvers. The hostage guards fiercely resisted, resulting in the injury of a Yamam fighter who enabled the mission's success. The attackers were subsequently neutralized.

When the Yamam vehicle was disabled by gunfire, the Southern Command commander made the critical decision to deploy additional forces in second and third defensive circles, ensuring the hostages' safety. The focus remained steadfastly on the hostages, with Yamam and Shin Bet fighters shielding them with their bodies.

Officials praised Inspector Arnon Zamora, the team commander, who was fatally wounded while leading the operation in the apartment where the three hostages were held. They hailed his bravery, comparing it to Judah the Maccabee's, underscoring the profound courage displayed in the face of peril.