IDF Releases Rare Footage of Two-Year-Old Hostage Rescue Operation in Gaza

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces unveiled previously unseen footage commemorating the second anniversary of Operation Arnon, which rescued four hostages — Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir Jan, and Andrey Kozlov — on June 8 2024.

During Operation Arnon, the four hostages were simultaneously extracted from two adjacent buildings in Nuseirat, central Gaza, in a high‑risk daytime raid conducted jointly by the IDF, the Shin Bet security service, and Israel Police’s Counter‑Terrorism Unit (YAMAM).

The footage captures the Counter‑Terrorism Unit’s rapid deployment to both sites, the hostage extraction, and intense close‑quarters combat with Hamas’s NukhbaForce militants that continued until the captives were secured and Israeli troops prepared to withdraw.

Arnon Zamora, who led the Counter‑Terrorism Unit at the time, suffered fatal injuries during the mission; the operation was later named in his honor.

Planning and Execution of Operation Arnon

Planning for the operation began months prior to June 2024, though it was postponed several times to refine precise intelligence regarding hostage locations, risk assessments, and operational security parameters.

Initially, the mission aimed solely at rescuing Noa Argamani; however, it was later expanded to a simultaneous rescue of all four hostages, with the intent of preventing Hamas guards from killing the remaining captives upon detecting an approaching IDF assault, assuming they were unrelated to the operation.

The operation was partially enabled by the fact that the captives were held in above‑ground civilian apartments rather than underground tunnels, where many other hostages are detained.

Approval and Execution of the Rescue Operation

The rescue plan received provisional approval from the War Cabinet, comprising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then‑Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and National Unity Party members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot—both former IDF chiefs—just days before execution.

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar authorized the operation to proceed from a joint command center, reasoning that a daylight strike would maximize surprise despite heightened visibility.

After the hostages were extracted and placed into a ground‑escape vehicle, it became immobilized.

At that moment, the hostages and rescuers faced grave danger, as dozens of militants prepared to converge on them, some equipped with rocket‑propelled grenades capable of incapacitating ground forces and disabling rescue helicopters.

Ultimately, additional reinforcements and rescue helicopters enabled the safe evacuation of both IDF personnel and the hostages.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

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