The Jewish Chronicle revealed fascinating and harrowing details of the dramatic hostage rescue in Gaza last Shabbos. Almost a month prior to the rescue, Israel obtained intelligence about the location of four hostages in the Nuseirat refugee camp area in the Gaza Strip. However, the exact locations of the apartments where the hostages were being held were unknown. An intense effort by every branch of Israeli intelligence was launched to pinpoint the locations. After 19 days of intensive work, intelligence forces gathered reliable information that Noa Argamani was being held in a first-floor apartment 800 meters away from the building where the three male hostages were being held on the third floor. The information, which was kept top secret, was presented to the war cabinet, whose members asked the IDF Chief of Staff and the Shin Bet head to formulate a rescue plan. Meanwhile, training for a potential operation began. A team of undercover officers (including several women dressed in hijabs and long black dresses) were sent into the Nuseirat refugee camp posing as two displaced Gazan families searching for a house to rent. They arrived in the area with two old cars filled with mattresses and clothing typical of those used by locals. They told locals that they had escaped from “deadly shelling of the Israeli army” in Rafah and expressed interest in renting an apartment in the area, pointing to the building where Argamani was being held. To facilitate matters, they pulled out a large amount of cash and offered to pay triple the going rate. Within three hours, the locals helped them find a large house to rent on the street where Argamani was being held. The Gazan “refugees” settled in the house, bought food in the local market, and after a few days, when they felt that their presence was not arousing suspicion, they began their work of verifying the exact locations of the apartments. They split into two teams. One team consisted of two commandos disguised as a typical Gazan couple – the woman dressed in a long black dress and hijab. Their mission was to confirm the exact address where Argamani was being held. The couple walked down the street “with complete confidence as if they were walking down a street in Tel Aviv. To add to their authenticity, they stopped from time to time at stalls along the sides of the street, showing interest in the products while complaining about the difficult situation in Gaza. This was done in fluent Arabic with a perfect Gazan accent. Behind them, walked four more undercover men, armed to give backup in case a ‘Fauda-like’ situation occurred (Fauda in Arabic means unexpected chaos).” The second team was comprised of four female soldiers dressed as typical Gazan locals, (with one even feigning a pregnancy), carrying plastic bags full of groceries. “They walked in two pairs (a young Muslim woman is not allowed to walk around alone) towards a nearby residential building, where, on the third floor, the three male hostages were held. Behind them walked four more undercover men armed to give them backup.” Five additional undercover officers remained at the rental house as backup. Three hours later, both teams returned to the rental house after successfully fulfilling their missions – they had confirmed the exact locations of […]