Yamam

Yamam (יחידה מרכזית מיוחדת; Special Central Unit), also known as National Counter-Terrorism Unit, is Israel's national counter-terrorism unit, one of four special units of the Israel Border Police. The Yamam is capable of both hostage-rescue operations and offensive take-over raids against terrorist targets in civilian areas. Besides military and counter-terrorism duties, it also performs tactical unit duties and undercover police work.

History
The Yamam was established in late 1974 after the Ma'alot massacre, where a failed rescue operation by the Sayeret Matkal commando unit of the Israel Defense Forces resulted in the murder of 21 schoolchildren before the hostage takers were killed. Since hostage rescue tactics in friendly territory differ from those used in hostile areas, it was decided to establish an elite police unit which develops and practices a special CQB (Close Quarters Battles) doctrine for counter-terrorism operations in friendly territory and hostage rescue.

Operational record after the Second Intifada
On May 23, 2006, a Yamam force, using intelligence provided by the Shin-Bet, arrested Ibrahim Hamed after an IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer started ramming the house in which he was hiding. On September 23, 2014, a Yamam force, together with Israel Defense Forces Combat Engineering Corps bulldozers, killed the two Hamas members accused of killing three Israeli teens in June 2014.

Operational record during Operation Breakwater (2022–2023)
On April 2, 2022, YAMAM operators killed 3 Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants, reportedly on their way to an attack. On August 19, 2022, YAMAM operators killed Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, a commander of the Lions' Den militant group. On October 25, 2022, YAMAM led a combined raid (with the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet) on what the IDF said was the Lions' Den headquarters and bomb lab in Nablus. On January 26, 2023, YAMAM led a combined raid (with the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet) on Jenin refugee camp, which the IDF said was targeted against members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad who were planning an attack. Nine Palestinians were killed in the attack, including an unarmed civilian.

Operational record during the Hamas led-attack on October 7, 2023, and afterwards
On October 7, 2023, YAMAM forces were the first to respond to the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the numerous massacres conducted by Palestinians in Israeli communities and towns. YAMAM operators killed in combat 200 armed Hamas gunmen and conducted several hostage rescue operations. YAMAM lost 9 operators and officers who were killed in action.

On February 12, 2024, YAMAM rescued two Israeli hostages in Rafah, together with the Shin Bet and the Israeli Defense Forces, in a military covert raid code-named Operation Golden Hand.

On June 8, 2024, YAMAM rescued four hostages in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, together with the Shin Bet and the Israeli Defense Forces, in Operation Arnon. During the operation, Squad Commander Arnon Zamora, 36, was killed in combat. Noa Argamani, an Israeli citizen kidnapped in the Re'im Music festival massacre, was rescued in the operation. During the operation, according to the IDF, under 100 Palestinians were killed. According to Hamas, 210 were killed.

Selection and training
Yamam recruits veterans of Israel Defense Forces and Israel Border Police combat units who completed their compulsory service. Applicants must have served in a regular IDF combat unit and completed a commander's course (Rifleman 08), served in an IDF special forces unit, or served in a Border Police Mista'arvim unit. The unit's training course lasts seven months, divided into three months of basic counter-terrorism training during which recruits go through basic combat training, as well as training in hand-to-hand combat, urban combat, and use of specialized weapons, followed by four months of advanced training.

Honors
The unit received number of honor citations (TZALASH, ציון לשבח) from the Commissioner of the Israeli Police: 2011, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2022.

In 2022 the unit received an honor citation from the Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff (צל"ש הרמטכ"ל) for their fighting during Operation Breakwater.