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During the operation, four Israeli captives were recovered—Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir Jan, and Andrey Kozlov—from two multi-story buildings in Nuseirat.[1] One Yamam officer was seriously injured during the operation and later died from his injuries.[10][11] Hamas reported that three other hostages, including a US citizen, were killed.
The death toll of the raid is disputed, with the Gazan Health Ministry stating that at least 274 Palestinians died in the camp, including women and children, and 698 injuries, as well as a few Israeli hostages,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18] while the IDF stated that fewer than 100 Palestinians were killed.[5] Following the operation, Hamas threatened the remaining hostages.[19]
Background
On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel.[20] As part of the attack, in which other Palestinian militant groups were also involved, thousands of rockets were launched towards the State of Israel and about 3,000 militants from the Gaza Strip infiltrated dozens of Israeli kibutzim and military installations and massacred civilians in nearby kibutzim and the Re'im music festival. As part of the attack, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups kidnapped hundreds of Israelis, civilians and soldiers.[21] This attack led to the Israel–Hamas war.[21]
The Nuseirat refugee camp is a long standing UNRWA refugee camp located in the middle of the Gaza Strip, in Deir al-Balah.[22] The camp has been repeatedly bombed during the Israel-Hamas war, with over a hundred Palestinians killed in the attacks. The most recent attack on the camp occurred only days before the rescue operation, with IDF forces striking the UNRWA school in the camp, killing at least 33 people.[23][24][25][26]
This operation was the third known hostage rescue carried out by the IDF since the start of the war. IDF Corporal Ori Megidish was rescued in October 2023 from the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and two male hostages were rescued in February 2024 from southern Rafah.[27] Additionally a number of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners have been exchanged throughout the war in November 2024.[28]
All four hostages recovered had been kidnapped from the Re'im music festival, and were identified as Noa Argamani (26-years-old), Almog Meir Jan (22-years-old), Andrey Kozlov (27-years-old), and Shlomi Ziv (41-years-old). Both Argamani and Meir Jan were festival goers while Kozlov, a recent immigrant from Russia, and Ziv had been employed as security guards for the festival.[27][29]
Kidnapped posters in January 2024
Argamani was shown in one of the initial videos released by Hamas documenting the massacre. She was seen being taken away on a motorcycle while yelling, "Don't kill me!" Her arms are outstretched towards her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, who was also being kidnapped.[30][31] This footage became emblematic of the hostage crisis, leading to Argamani being described as "the face of the Nova music festival hostages."[32][33] Argamani's family had indications that she was alive, as she appeared in a Hamas video released in January 2024.[27]
Rescue
The IDF said that they worked with Shin Bet and Israeli police to free the four Israeli hostages.[10] It was also later reported that the operation was aided by intelligence support from the United States[34] and the United Kingdom.[35] The operation was planned for several weeks, and was carried out after an intelligence opportunity arose.[8] Some of the special forces members entered the refugee camp in a vehicle with a mattress on top, posing as Palestinian refugees fleeing Rafah per Saudi reporters. They reportedly told locals that they were escaping the Israeli assault on Rafah, while other Palestinian locals alleged that other forces entered in humanitarian trucks.[36]
The operation began at about 11 am, with the Yamam and Sin Bet officers raiding two multi-story buildings about 200 meters apart, in the center of Nusseirat, where the hostages were reportedly held in two family homes.[6][10] During captivity the hostages were held in a civilian environment, guarded by armed militants, with the IDF stating this was an intentional method by their captors.[8][37] The female hostage, Argamani, was reportedly held separately from the three male hostages, who had been reportedly held together throughout their eight-month captivity.
The IDF stated that, at the time of the rescue, the three male hostages were being held in the home of freelance journalist Abdullah Al-Jamal, who had previously worked for Al Jazeera and was a writer for the Palestine Chronicle, a nonprofit publication based in the United States. Al-Jamal was also a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Labour. Ramy Abdul, head of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, reported that Al-Jamal, his wife, and his father were killed after Israeli forces stormed the home by ladder.[38][39] During the extraction of the three male hostages, a major gun battle reportedly erupted, causing the critical wounding of Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, one of the Yaman members who was the commander of the rescue team for that building.[6] During the operation, the Southern Command and the Air Force said they exchanged fire with Hamas militants.[8] An IDF spokesman said its forces were fired upon inside buildings and during their withdrawal from Gaza.[40]
A witness in the camp reported a "crazy bombardment" occurred suddenly, while another stated that the strike happened when people were sleeping.[27] Witnesses reported that entire residential blocks were wiped out.[15] Per a resident and paramedic in the camp, the assault felt like a "horror movie" and that Israeli drones and warplanes fired randomly throughout the night at peoples homes and those who tried to flee the area. Videos were posted to social media, reportedly showing corpses with entrails spilling out lying on blood-stained streets after the attack, although Reuters was unable to immediately verify the footage.[37] Additional footage showed Palestinians in the market area diving for cover as missiles flew in and gunfire erupted.[41]
The three male hostages and Zmora were extracted from the refugee camp, but when the vehicle became stuck, additional forces had to rescue them as the vehicle came under fire. They were then brought to a makeshift helipad and airlifted into Israel.[6] The abductees were not injured, and were transferred to Sheba Medical Center.[40]
Casualties
Hamas media office stated that the number of victims "has risen to 210 martyrs and more than 400 wounded."[18] Tanya Haj-Hassan, a paediatric intensive care doctor with Doctors Without Borders, stated that Al-Aqsa hospital, where 109 Palestinians including 23 children and 11 women and over 100 wounded victims were transported,[42] was a "complete bloodbath."[15][16][37]Another 100 people killed in the attacks were taken to al-Awda hospital.[42] The Gaza Health Ministry did not say how many of the casualties were combatants.[37]
According to the IDF, Hamas pays Palestinian families to hold the hostages in their houses, which may account for the high casualties.[1][43] In addition, a large firefight occurred as IDF special forces were attempting to disengage with the hostages, reportedly coming under fire from dozens of militants with RPGs and machine guns when their vehicle became stuck necessitating defensive airstrikes which may have killed civilians.[1][43]
The operation also resulted in the death of Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, an Israeli Yamam officer, with the operation's codename subsequently changed to "Operation Arnon" in his honor.[6][1][44]
According to Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida, the operation resulted in the deaths of several other Israeli hostages,[45] which IDF spokesman Peter Lerner dismissed.[46] The day after the operation Hamas's armed wing uploaded a video to its Telegram channel appearing to show the unidentifiable corpses of three hostages that were reportedly killed during the rescue operation.[47]
Aftermath
Argamani was reunited with her father and transported to Sheba hospital to be reunited with her mother, where she was being treated for cancer.[48] During a phone call with Argamani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "we didn't give up on you for a moment."[27]
Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz postponed a scheduled news conference this evening, which coincided with his deadline to resign if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not present a new plan for the war.[49] The following day, he resigned.[50]
Allegations of the United States military constructed floating pier in Gaza being used in the IDF operation, were seen after a video showing an IDF helicopter taking off from the beach with the pier in the background began to circulate online on 8 June. Two United States officials responded to the claims, stating that the pier was only used for humanitarian aid and the helicopter was used to return the hostages into Israel and had landed south of the pier but not within the cordoned off area.[34]
Reactions
Domestic
Hamas issued a press release on 8 June calling the actions of the IDF and Israeli military a "horrible massacre against innocent civilians."[27] Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that "resistance will continue", adding, "If the occupation believes that it can impose its choices on us by force, then it is delusional." The group's military wing spokesperson, Abu Obaida, threatened the remaining hostages, stating that, "The operation will pose a great danger to the enemy prisoners and will have a negative impact on their conditions and lives."[51]
Palestine: Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas described the rescue operation as a "massacre."[52][53] The day after the operation Abbas, instructed the Palestine envoy to the United Nations to request an emergency session with the United Nations Security Council to discuss the repercussions of the operation and resulting deaths.[54]
Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We are committed to do so in the future as well. We will not let up until we complete the mission and return home all the hostages — both those alive and dead."[55] The family members of those still held as hostages repeated their demands for a cease fire after the news of the rescue operation. The daughter-in-law of one of the hostages stated that "The hostages don’t have time. We can’t free everyone in operations and we must go for a deal that will save lives."[47] Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the operation was "daring in nature, planned brilliantly, and executed in an extraordinary fashion."[56]
International
Argentina: Argentine President Javier Milei celebrated the release of the four hostages on Twitter, posting "Long live freedom, damn it!"[57]
Austria: Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed being "very much relieved," but emphasized, "far too many are still being brutally held hostage by Hamas. All of them need to be released immediately." He also pledged to continue "all efforts" to secure the release of hostage Tal Shoham, who holds Austrian citizenship.[58]
Egypt: the country denounced the killing of civilians, calling it "a flagrant violation of all rules of international law".[59]
France: President Emmanuel Macron Macron praised the hostage rescue and called for a lasting political solution to the war in Gaza.[60]
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote that the rescue of the hostages was a "important sign of hope", adding that "four hostages are now free. Hamas must finally release all hostages. The war must end".[61]
Indonesia: the country condemned the "repeated atrocities" committed by Israel in Gaza, including in the Nuseirat refugee camp, and called for an immediate ceasefire.[62]
Jordan: the country denounced the killing of civilians and called "on the international community and especially the Security Council to take immediate and urgent action to stop Israel's war crimes in Gaza."[63]
Kuwait: the country denounced the killing of civilians, calling it a "heinous crime".[64]
Norway: Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik condemned the attack on civilians and called for the release of all hostages.[63]
Poland: Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski wrote: "Bravo, IDF. May all hostages return home and may there be a just peace between Israel and Palestine".[65]
Turkey: the country denounced the killing of civilians, calling it a "barbaric attack".[66]
United Kingdom: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote that "It is a huge relief to see hostages returned after their unimaginable ordeal and heartwarming to see the pictures of them reunited with their families. We will continue to strive towards an end to the fighting as well as safety and security for all."[67]
United States: United States President Joe Biden lauded the rescue of the hostages, and pledges to "not stop working" until all the hostages are freed.[68][58]
Organizations
United Nations: UN Secretary General António Guterres stated that he had sent messages to the families of rescued hostages Noa Argamani and Shalomi Ziv, to express his "relief that they and two other hostages are now free." Guterres added, "I renew my appeal for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for an end to this war."[69] UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese accused Israel of "genocidal intent turned into action."[69] Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, said that "Countries that celebrate the release of four Israeli hostages without saying a word about the hundreds of Palestinians killed and thousands held in arbitrary detention by Israel, have lost moral credibility for generations and don’t deserve to be on any U.N. human rights body."[69]
European Union: A top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell condemned the level of casualties in the Nuseirat refugee camp as a result of the rescue, calling it "...another massacre of civilians". He also called for a ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages.[70]
Hezbollah: In response to the operation, the Iranian-backed group launched attacks against northern Israel, stating that: "this targeting came in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, and in response to the Israeli enemy’s attacks".[71]
Gulf Cooperation Council: Secretary-General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi described the operation as a "terrorist crime that targeted unarmed civilians with unprecedented barbarism."[72]
