In the heart of the Nuseirat refugee camp, after eight months and a day of captivity in Gaza, one of the most daring operations since the beginning of the war took place. Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Shlomi Ziv and Andrey Kozlov – who were kidnapped from the Nova party – were rescued in “Operation Arnon”, named after the Navy fighter Arnon Zamora who was killed during it. This is how the operation went, minute by minute.
18:30 6/6/24
After careful planning, exercises and models, and advanced intelligence surveillance that lasted for many weeks, the political echelon approves the operation that was first called “Summer Seeds”. The confirmation was made in a classified discussion, under heavy compartmentalization and waiting for the right moment.
10:00 8/6/24
Two central commando teams are darting from several directions, agitated, towards the Nusairat refugee camp near the coast. The forces move in broad daylight secretly to the two buildings where the hostages were held, among them thousands of Palestinians (who take part in hiding the hostages) and hundreds of terrorists from the local Hamas battalion – who are not noticed.
10:45 8/6/24
Special ground observations and technological means of surveillance from Air Force aircraft identify that the area is clean and there is no suspicious movement in the two buildings, 3-4 stories. In one of them Noa Argamani was held and in the other three the other three hostages, with Gazan families and armed guards
10:50 8/6/24
Live information and documentation of the alleys, spanning hundreds of meters between the two targets, were transmitted to screens in two command centers from which the operation was overseen: one of the Shin Bet in central Israel, attended by the head of the service, Ronen Bar, and the Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi; and the other of the Southern Command in Be’er Sheva, from which the Southern Command Chief managed the perimeter and rescue forces
11:00 8/6/24
The two teams on the ground received the ‘execute’ command, personally approved in real-time by the head of the Shin Bet and the Chief of Staff. They simultaneously and fully coordinated their assault on the buildings at the exact same moment to prevent the terrorists at the second target from discovering the operation, which would endanger the hostages
11:10 8/6/24
While the elimination of the terrorists guarding Argamani and her rescue went relatively smoothly, the operation in the second building was much more complicated. Commander Zamora’s team reported being hit in the exchange of fire. The fighters who eliminated the terrorists at that location are treating their commander and trying to save him while exiting the building, all under increasing fire
11:15 8/6/24
Over the radio, the message everyone was waiting for is reported: ‘The diamonds are in our hands,’ meaning the hostages are with us
11:20 8/6/24
Under the cover of the delay, dozens of terrorists gathered around the building where the three hostages were held, and hundreds more armed men approached from all directions with RPG launchers, PK machine guns, and Kalashnikov rifles. They ran through the narrow alleys and the nearby market, crowded with thousands of Gazans
11:22 8/6/24
The forces tried to escape in the rescue vehicle, but it was hit by heavy fire and began to falter. Following this, Southern Command Chief Yaron Finkelman activated the pre-prepared rescue plan.
11:25 8/6/24
Air Force fighter jets and helicopters launched dozens of munitions at the terrorists to isolate the area. Hundreds of soldiers from the 7th Brigade, Paratroopers, Givati, and Kfir, who were positioned as reinforcements, were deployed on foot, as well as with tanks and Namer armored personnel carriers into the refugee camp, while Navy ships provided cover from the west
11:30 8/6/24
The reinforcement forces and the Air Force successfully isolated the main battle zone, thus providing a safe escape route for the main force with the three hostages. In an exceptional move, Southern Command authorized Air Force CH-53 helicopters to land deep in the Gaza Strip for extraction, under the cover of fire from fighter jets. The airstrikes hit the terrorists just tens of meters away from the soldiers
11:50 8/6/24
The last of the special forces boarded the helicopters, which then took off for hospitals in Israel. Resuscitation efforts for Commander Zamora continued in the air, but at the hospital, they were forced to pronounce his death. Reinforcement forces from IDF brigades continued to engage the terrorists around the perimeter of the operation, eliminating dozens more until the operation was concluded.
13:33 8/6/24
The IDF, Shin Bet, and the police officially announced the rescue of the four hostages, sparking spontaneous celebrations both in Israel and among Israelis abroad.
