2024 Rafah hostage raid

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2024 Rafah hostage raid
Part of the 12 February 2024 Rafah strikes, the background of the Rafah offensive, the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and the Israel–Hamas war
Operation Golden Hand, February 2024. XI.jpg
One of the rescued hostages receiving medical care in an Israeli hospital and reuniting with their families
Date12 February 2024;11 months ago (2024-02-12)
Location
Gaza Strip
Result
  • Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Luis Har (70), two Argentine-Israeli civilians, were rescued
  • 94–100+ Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes [1]
Belligerents
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of al-Qassam Brigades.svg  Hamas

The 2024 Rafah hostage raid, dubbed Operation Golden Hand (Hebrew : מבצע יד זהב) by the IDF, was a military raid and hostage rescue operation conducted in cooperation with the Shin Bet and Yamam (Israel's National Counter-Terror Unit, part of the Israeli Police) to recover two Israeli civilians kidnapped during the Nir Yitzhak attack on 7 October 2023. The operation commenced on February 12, 2024, at 1:49 AM during combat in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war, and ended successfully with the rescue of the hostages, along with a soldier who was lightly injured during the operation. [2] [3] At least 74 Palestinians were killed by Israel in the early morning airstrikes used as cover for the operation, though other estimates produced numbers closer to 100. [1]

Background

On the morning of 7 October 2023, Hamas and allied militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel. Thousands of rockets were launched from the Gaza strip and approximately 3,500 militants infiltrated Israel, where they attacked dozens of Israeli towns and military facilities in the Gaza Envelope. 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed and 248 others were abducted and held hostage. Dual Israeli-Argentinian citizens, Fernando Simon Marman, aged 60, and Luis Herr, aged 70, were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak as part of the attack on Nir Yitzhak on October 7, 2023. [4] [5] Israel invaded the Gaza Strip on October 27th.

This was the second successful hostage rescue attempt since the start of the war with the first rescue occurring on 30 October 2023 which resulted in the rescue of Ori Megidish, a captured IDF soldier. [6]

The operation

Documentation of the operation from a helmet camera of a YAMAM operative, Israeli Police

YAMAM (Israel's National Counter-Terror Unit), Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency), and Shayetet 13 (IDF Naval Commando) worked on the operation for an extended period, but until February 12, the conditions in the field did not allow for the execution of the operation. [7] The operational headquarters that managed the operation included the head of Shin Bet, the Chief of Staff, the Police Commissioner, the commander of Yamam, the head of Military Intelligence, the head of the Operations Directorate, and the commander of the Air Force. Later, the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister joined. [8]

An IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated the operation occurred at around 1:49am with early morning coordinated airstrikes from the Israeli Air Force occurring about a minute after the operation began, when the militants were sleeping. [9] [10] Yamam forces reportedly gained access to the hostage building in central Rafah by abseiling from the roof of a nearby building.[ citation needed ]

When the coordinated airstrikes began the soldiers reportedly covered the hostages with their bodies to protect from debris. [11] The soldiers exited the building from the second floor with the rescued hostages by abseiling due to a concern of more militants hiding on the first floor. One Israeli soldier was lightly injured after having fallen from a high place. [5] [11] The duration of the operation was about an hour. [11]

Evacuation of the soldiers and hostages by a helicopter that transferred the hostages to Israel, by Shayetet 13 commandos, unit 5515 and the 7th Armored Brigade. [10] The two hostages were taken for medical examinations at the Sheba Medical Center, where it was reported that their overall condition was stable, but that they were weak and suffered from considerable weight loss. [8] [12]

The Gaza Health Ministry initially stated at least 67 Palestinian civilians, including women and children, were killed during the Israeli operation, with the number increasing to at least 94 shortly after. [1] [13] Israel said many of those killed were militants. The Gaza Health Ministry said that 70% of those killed were civilians. [14] Describing the scene, Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum stated, "People were terrified; they didn't know where to go. Families were running in the middle of the streets, looking for a place safe from the Israeli bombardment. This attack was beyond comprehension." [15]

Aftermath

At least 74 Palestinians were later positively confirmed to have been killed by the airstrikes alongside the raid. According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, which pulled information from Rafah hospitals the dead included at least 27 children and 22 women. [16]

The operation was widely reviewed in the Israeli media that praised the security forces for the successful operation. It also gained considerable coverage by media around the world. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai met with the soldiers who participated in the mission and congratulated them for their success. [10]

A Hamas spokesperson called the airstrikes a series of "horrific massacres against defenseless civilians and displaced children, women and the elderly". [23]

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan has stated that the reports coming from Rafah were cause for deep concern and seemed to be ignoring laws of armed conflict. [24] Some such as sports commentator Dave Zirin called it the "Super Bowl Massacre" due to their concurrence with Super Bowl LVIII. [25] [26]

Some commentators pointed out that millions of Americans were celebrating the Super Bowl simultaneously as dozens of Palestinians were being killed. [27] [28] Jewish Voice for Peace stated: "The Israeli military is bombing Rafah, the most densely populated area in the world, while Americans watch the Super Bowl. This is intentional." [29] The Super Bowl also aired several ads that pushed the narrative that Israel was at war with Hamas, without mentioning the 29,000 Palestinians who had been killed by the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. [27] The ads were sponsored by the Israeli government and cost an estimated $7 million. [29] The Federal Communications Commission received 10,000 complaints about the ad, as it did not disclose that it was paid for by a foreign government. [30]

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee stated that the attacks on Rafah were planned to coincide with the Super Bowl as Israel knew the American public would not be paying attention on other news on that day. [29] Dave Zirin also said that Israel influencing the American public through ads, as it killed dozens of Palestinians, was "more like military synergy than happenstance." [31]

Harvard University students participated in a "die-in" at Widener Library to protest against the airstrikes, which was publicized online by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, and other groups. [32]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Regan, Helen (2024-02-12). "Israeli airstrikes kill more than 100 in Rafah as international alarm mounts over anticipated ground offensive". CNN. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  2. ↑ "IDF rescues 2 hostages in 'daring' targeted op in Rafah". I24news. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  3. ↑ Yanko, Adir; Ciechanover, Yael; Zitun, Yoav (2024-02-12). "Rescued hostages say they were held by a family in Rafah and 'we were hungry'". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  4. ↑ Vinograd, Cassandra; Kershner, Isabel (2024-02-12). "Israel's Attackers Took About 240 Hostages. Here's What to Know About Them". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  5. 1 2 "Gaza reports: This is the building the hostages were rescued from". www.israelnationalnews.com. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  6. ↑ Tzuri, Matan (30 October 2023). "Abducted soldier freed by IDF troops in Gaza". ynet . Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "המודיעין, חילופי האש והחיבוק: מבצע החילוץ ההירואי ברפיח" [The intelligence, exchanges of fire and the embrace: the heroic rescue operation in Rafah] (in Hebrew).
  8. 1 2 "כל הפרטים הידועים על מבצע חילוץ החטופים" [All known details about the operation to rescue the kidnapped]. N12 (in Hebrew). 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  9. ↑ Regan, Helen; Salman, Abeer (2024-02-12). "Israeli airstrikes kill more than 100 in Rafah as international alarm mounts over anticipated ground offensive". CNN. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  10. 1 2 3 "הכוח חצה 3 גדודי חמאס, החטופים ירדו בסנפלינג: פרטים חדשים על חילוץ החטופים ברפיח" [The force crossed 3 Hamas battalions, the abductees went down the rappel: new details about the rescue of the abductees in Rafah]. www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  11. 1 2 3 Rubin, Shira (February 12, 2024). "Israeli army rescues two hostages amid deadly airstrikes on Rafah". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  12. ↑ "היו יחד בבית: פרטים חדשים על השבי של פרננדו מרמן ולואיס הר מרפיח" [They were together at home: new details about the captivity of Fernando Merman and Luis Har Marfih]. www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  13. ↑ Sinmaz, Emine (12 February 2024). "Israel says two hostages freed in raid Gaza officials say killed 67 Palestinians". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  14. ↑ Al-Mughrabi, Nidal; Rose, Emily (13 February 2024). "Israel frees two hostages, Palestinian TV says 74 killed in assault".
  15. ↑ "Palestinians do not know where to go after Israel's overnight attack on Rafah". Al Jazeera. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  16. ↑ "Airstrike from Israeli hostage rescue wipes out entire Palestinian family in Gaza border town". AP News. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  17. ↑ "מבצע החילוץ בראש הכותרות בעולם – אבל גם "עשרות ההרוגים" ברפיח" [The rescue operation is at the top of the world's headlines - but so are the "tens of dead" in Rafah]. Ynet (in Hebrew). 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  18. ↑ "How many Israeli captives have been released or rescued?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  19. ↑ Sinmaz, Emine (2024-02-12). "Israel says two hostages freed in raid Gaza officials say killed 67 Palestinians". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  20. ↑ Ives, Mike; Bigg, Matthew Mpoke (2024-02-12). "What to Know About the 2 Hostages Israel Rescued From Rafah". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  21. ↑ "Israel rescues two hostages in Rafah, as health officials say 67 people killed by air strikes". ABC News. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  22. ↑ "Gaza war: What we know about Israel's Rafah hostage rescue raid". BBC News. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  23. ↑ Rubin, Shira (February 12, 2024). "Israeli army rescues two hostages amid deadly airstrikes on Rafah". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  24. ↑ Berger, Miriam; Loveluck, Louisa; Harb, Hajar (February 12, 2024). "Panic mounts in Rafah over looming Israeli offensive after night strikes". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  25. ↑ Zirin, Dave (12 Feb 2024). "The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre". The Nation. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  26. ↑ Crimmins, Tricia (12 Feb 2024). "'I doubt this is a coincidence': Israel's bombing of Rafah during the big game dubbed 'Super Bowl Massacre'". Daily Dot. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  27. 1 2 Harmon, Katelin (February 19, 2024). "Americans let the Super Bowl distract them from the attacks on Rafah". Daily Tarheel.
  28. ↑ DC, Brooke Anderson ــ Washington (2024-02-13). "Biden mocks opponents over Super Bowl as Israel bombs Rafah". newarab.com. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  29. 1 2 3 "Israel Super Bowl ad sells Gaza war to NFL football audience". newarab.com. 12 February 2024.
  30. ↑ Zirin, Dave (2024-02-12). "The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  31. ↑ Zirin, Dave (2024-02-12). "The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  32. ↑ Edwards, Sally; Sonnad-Joshi, Aran (February 12, 2024). "Nearly 200 Harvard Students Hold 'Die-In' Protesting Airstrikes on Rafah | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
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