New details. Male and female Israeli special forces, disguised as Arabs evacuated from Rafah, reportedly entered the Nuseirat market area of central Gaza in a white car with mattresses on the roof. They told locals they were renting in the building where the hostages were being held. Then they split into two teams and commenced the rescue.
At 11am Israel time, the order was given to raid two multi-story buildings in central Gaza’s Nuseirat where 4 hostages were being held. The buildings were about 200 meters apart and the decision to raid both simultaneously was out of concern that terrorists may murder the hostages once they realized a rescue operation was underway. Noa Argamani was held by Hamas guards alone in the home of a Palestinian family, while the other three hostages were held at a separate home. According to the IDF, Hamas pays Gazan families to hold the hostages in their homes. At the apartment where the three male hostages were held, a gun battle erupted, during which brave IDF soldier Arnon Zamora, commander of the rescue team at the second building, was critically wounded and later died of his injuries As the three hostages and Zamora were being extracted, their vehicle came under fire. Other forces quickly reached the scene to rescue them under heavy fire. Ground troops and the Air Force carried out major strikes in the area to protect themselves and the rescued hostages.
Captain Orde Wingate came to Palestine in 1936. He had been brought up on the Bible in his religious family and therefore his assignment to train Jews as Special Night Squads under British leadership to combat an Arab rebellion that was massacring Jews was personally quite congenial. On the first day of training, Wingate told his men that he wanted no Jews in this outfit. That naturally confused and alarmed the Jewish recruits. He then went on to say that all he wanted was Hebrew warriors! The training he gave, and his inspirational leadership, was the foundation of the Israeli Army. As Moshe Dayan, who served under Wingate said, He taught us everything we know.
General Wingate went on to glory and to death in 1944 for the behind the line exploits of his Chindits in Burma during World War II. In the world beyond I am sure he is nodding approval of the IDF he helped to create.
Note: Followed by the usual suspects demonstrating in front of the White House protesting against Israeli “escalation” of the conflict, Ignoring the atrocities of Hamas.
:cheers both stories:
And the late hero– may his memory be a blessing.