Operation Golden Hand

Operation Golden Hand (יד זהב) was an IDF operation in cooperation with the Shin Bet and Yamam (Israel's National Counter-Terror Unit, part of the Israeli Police) for the rescue of two hostages who were kidnapped to Rafah 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. The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 94 Palestinians were killed by Israel in the coordinated early morning airstrikes that were used as cover for the operation.

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. 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.

The operation
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. 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.

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. Yamam forces gained access to the second floor of the building in central Rafah, where the abductees were held, by abseiling from the roof of a nearby building. The building was reportedly surrounded by armed militants, both outside the building and near the hostages. They breached the locked door using an explosive charge, eliminated three militants guarding the hostages, and rescued the hostages within three seconds from entering the building.

When the coordinated airstrikes began the soldiers reportedly covered the hostages with their bodies to protect from debris. 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. The duration of the operation was about an hour.

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. 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.

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. Israel said many of those killed were militants. The Gaza Health Ministry said that 70% of those killed were civilians. 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."

Aftermath
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. 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.