{{Short description|Israeli hostage rescue operation in Rafah, Gaza Strip}} {{protection padlock|small=yes}}
The '''2024 Rafah hostage raid''', dubbed '''Operation Golden Hand''' ({{langx|he|מבצע יד זהב}}) by the Israel Defense Forces, was a military raid and hostage rescue operation conducted in cooperation with the Shin Bet and Yamam (Israel's National Counter-Terror Unit, part of the Israeli Police) to recover two Israeli civilians kidnapped 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 Gaza war, and ended successfully with the rescue of the hostages, along with a soldier who was lightly injured during the operation.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-02-12 |title=IDF rescues 2 hostages in 'daring' targeted op in Rafah. |url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1707714683-idf-rescues-2-hostages-during-op-in-rafah |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=I24news}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Yanko |first1=Adir |last2=Ciechanover |first2=Yael |last3=Zitun |first3=Yoav |date=2024-02-12 |title=Rescued hostages say they were held by a family in Rafah and 'we were hungry' |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sku2eydj6 |access-date=2024-02-12 |work=Ynetnews |language=en}}</ref> At least 74 Palestinians were killed by Israel in the early morning airstrikes used as cover for the operation, though other estimates produced numbers closer to 100.<ref name="cnn20240212">{{Cite web |last=Regan |first=Helen |date=2024-02-12 |title=Israeli airstrikes kill more than 100 in Rafah as international alarm mounts over anticipated ground offensive |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/middleeast/israel-airstrikes-rafah-ground-offensive-looms-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>
== Background == On the morning of 7 October 2023, 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 Marman, aged 60, and Luis Har, aged 70, were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak as part of the attack on Nir Yitzhak on October 7, 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Vinograd |first1=Cassandra |last2=Kershner |first2=Isabel |date=2024-02-12 |title=Israel's Attackers Took About 240 Hostages. Here's What to Know About Them. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/israel-hostages-hamas-explained.html |access-date=2024-02-12 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="israelnationalnews.com">{{Cite web |date=2024-02-12 |title=Gaza reports: This is the building the hostages were rescued from |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385066 |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=www.israelnationalnews.com}}</ref> 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 resulting in the rescue of Ori Megidish, a captured IDF soldier.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tzuri |first1=Matan |date=30 October 2023 |title=Abducted soldier freed by IDF troops in Gaza |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bj0119lpz6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101001712/https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bj0119lpz6 |archive-date=1 November 2023 |accessdate=30 October 2023 |work=ynet}}</ref>
== The airstrikes == {{Infobox civilian attack | title = 12 February 2024 Rafah strikes | location = Rafah, southern Gaza Strip | date = 12 February 2024 | partof = the background of the Rafah offensive and the Gaza war | caption = Location within the Gaza Strip | map = {{location map | Israel gaza | lat_deg = 31.2725 | lon_deg = 34.258611 | label = Rafah | label_size = 100 | caption = <!-- blank --> | border = none | float = center }} | coordinates = {{coord|31|16|21|N|34|15|31|E|region:PS-GZA|display=inline,title}} | time = | timezone = | target = | type = Airstrikes, massacre | weapons = | fatalities = *94–100+ Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes<ref name="cnn20240212" /> | injuries = Unknown | perps = {{air force|Israel}} }} According to the Associated Press, Israeli airstrikes on Rafah began at 1:50am local time on 12 February, one minute after the start of a hostage rescue operation in a house in the Shaboura area of Rafah.<ref name="apnews20240212">{{Cite web |date=2024-02-12 |title=Timeline of the Israeli raid in Gaza that rescued two hostages and killed dozens of Palestinians |url=https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-raid-timeline-4f226be0227e40ba2484d7f551bd2306 |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> The Israeli military claimed that it had conducted a series of airstrikes on targets in the Shaboura area of Rafah, while the Rafah municipality claimed at least two mosques and about a dozen homes were targeted.<ref name="mako20240212" /> Reporting and analysis of satellite imagery concluded that the airstrikes extended far beyond Shaboura.<ref name="humanite">{{cite web | last=Horn | first=Alexandre | title=«Massacre du Super Bowl» à Rafah : les frappes de Tsahal lors de la libération des otages ont tué des dizaines de civils, dont une trentaine d'enfants | website=Libération | date=22 Feb 2024 | url=https://www.liberation.fr/checknews/massacre-du-super-bowl-a-rafah-les-frappes-de-tsahal-lors-de-la-liberation-des-otages-ont-tue-des-dizaines-de-civils-dont-une-trentaine-denfants-20240222_5IPZZBWOQVGFDM6Y3IXIFZGUAI/ | language=fr | access-date=6 Mar 2025}}</ref>
The Israeli government stated that the night's airstrikes, that resulted in the deaths of at least 67 civilians, were conducted as a diversion in order to rescue two hostages.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ravid |first1=Barak |title=Israeli military rescues two hostages held in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials say |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/02/12/israel-gaza-hostages-rescue-hamas-idf |access-date=13 February 2024 |work=Axios |date=11 Feb 2024}}</ref> Israeli intentions with the strikes, as described by military spokesman Major Nir Dinar were: "to hit Hamas military command centers, confuse the militants, sever contact between the hostages’ captors and their commanders, and provide cover for the escape."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kingsley |first=Patrick |date=2024-02-12 |title=Middle East Crisis: How Israeli Commandos Rescued 2 Hostages in Gaza |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/12/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news |access-date=2024-02-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
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.<ref name="cnn20240212" /><ref name="theguardian20240212">{{cite news |last1=Sinmaz |first1=Emine |title=Israel says two hostages freed in raid Gaza officials say killed 67 Palestinians |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/12/israeli-hostages-freed-rafah-idf-gaza-report-dozens-palestinians-killed-strikes |website=The Guardian |date=12 February 2024 |access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref> Israel said many of those killed were militants. The Gaza Health Ministry said that 70% of those killed were civilians.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Al-Mughrabi |first1=Nidal |last2=Rose |first2=Emily |date=13 February 2024 |title=Israel frees two hostages, Palestinian TV says 74 killed in assault |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-strikes-rafah-refugee-camp-22-killed-local-health-officials-say-2024-02-12/}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web |date=12 February 2024 |title=Palestinians do not know where to go after Israel's overnight attack on Rafah |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/12/israels-war-on-gaza-live-israel-planning-rafah-assault-as-talks-continue?update=2703217 |access-date=14 February 2024 |website=Al Jazeera}}</ref>
A civilian who had been sheltering in Rafah stated that the night was indescribable, and he and others around him thought that the IDF was invading Rafah due to the amount of airstrikes.<ref name="thenation20240212">{{Cite news |last=Zirin |first=Dave |date=2024-02-12 |title=The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/world/super-bowl-rafah-israel-gaza/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |language=en-US |issn=0027-8378}}</ref> Among the locations struck were the Al-Huda mosque, and the family homes of the Abu-Jazar, Hassouna, and Al-Shaer families. ''Libération'' newspaper geolocated these sites as between 1.5 and 2.2 kilometers away from the hostage rescue.<ref name="humanite" /> Eighteen members of the Abu-Jazar family were killed in their home in the Badr refugee camp, including an infant and three young Qwaider children who were cousins of the Abu-Jazars.<ref name="humanite" /> The Hassouna family, who rented a house after fleeing violence elsewhere in Gaza, was attacked by an airstrike to their one-story house, which was destroyed, killing eight family members, including two children.<ref name="apnews20240213">{{Cite web |date=2024-02-13 |title=Airstrike from Israeli hostage rescue wipes out entire Palestinian family in Gaza border town |url=https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-family-killed-3f28892cf94c5b5c4e64f3f449c8a6f1 |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Among them was Sidra Hassouna, who was thrown out of the building and left hanging from a wall. Photos of Sidra Hassouna's lifeless body widely circulated on social media. The Hasounas were relatives of Palestine's Ambassador the UK, Husam Zomlot.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sinmaz |first=Emine |date=2024-02-16 |title=Palestinian ambassador to UK says eight relatives killed in Israeli strikes in Rafah |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/palestinian-ambassador-to-uk-says-eight-relatives-killed-in-israeli-strikes-in-rafah |access-date=2024-02-28 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Eight members of the Al-Shaer family, spanning three generations, were killed in their home, which was collapsed by an airstrike.<ref name="humanite" /> Other sites were struck and the AP reported that the airstrikes "flatten[ed] several residential blocks in a built-up refugee camp."<ref name="apnews20240212" /> Following the hostage rescue operation, the site where the hostages were held was leveled.<ref name="humanite" />
The Al-Huda mosque was largely destroyed,<ref name="humanite" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Abu Omar |first=Abeer |last2=Martin |first2=Eric |date=2024-02-27 |title=Israel Is Counting on Middle East Neighbors to Help Rebuild Gaza |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-27/israel-is-counting-on-middle-east-neighbors-to-help-rebuild-gaza |access-date=2024-02-28 |work=Bloomberg |language=en}}</ref> but parishioners held worship services in the remains of the building on February 23.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Palestinians perform Friday prayers in the ruins of Al-Huda Mosque |url=https://epaimages.com/search.pp?pictureid=12048705&title=Palestinians-perform-Friday-prayers-in-the-ruins-of-Al-Huda-Mosque |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=EPA |language=en}}</ref>
These actions have been interpreted as possible war crimes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Deutsch |first1=Anthony |title=ICC prosecutor 'deeply concerned' by situation in Gaza's Rafah |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iccs-prosecutor-deeply-concerned-by-situation-rafah-2024-02-12/ |access-date=13 February 2024 |work=Reuters |date=13 Feb 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bicer |first1=Aysu |title=Amnesty UK report gives evidence on possible war crimes by Israel in Gaza city of Rafah |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/amnesty-uk-report-gives-evidence-on-possible-war-crimes-by-israel-in-gaza-city-of-rafah/3135181 |website=AA |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref>
== The operation == {{Infobox military conflict | conflict = 2024 Rafah hostage raid | partof = the Gaza war | image = frameless|upright=1.2 | caption = One of the rescued hostages receiving medical care in an Israeli hospital and reuniting with his family | date = {{start date and age|df=yes|2024|02|12}} | place = Gaza Strip | coordinates = | result = Fernando Marman (60) and Luis Har (70), two Argentine-Israeli held hostages, were rescued | combatant1 = {{flag|Israel}} | combatant2 = {{flag|Hamas}} | commander1 = | commander2 = | strength1 = | strength2 = | casualties1 = | casualties2 = | casualties3 = | campaignbox = }} [[File:YAMAM-Operation-Golden-Hand-2024-02-12.webm|thumb|300px|Documentation of the operation from a helmet camera of a YAMAM operative, Israeli Police]] 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=המודיעין, חילופי האש והחיבוק: מבצע החילוץ ההירואי ברפיח |trans-title=The intelligence, exchanges of fire and the embrace: the heroic rescue operation in Rafah |url=https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/defense/702072/ |language=he}}</ref> 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.<ref name="mako20240212">{{Cite web |date=2024-02-12 |title=כל הפרטים הידועים על מבצע חילוץ החטופים |trans-title=All known details about the operation to rescue the kidnapped |url=https://www.mako.co.il/news-military/2024_q1/Article-3a612cd6f5b9d81027.htm |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=N12 |language=he}}</ref>
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that 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.<ref name="cnn20240212" /><ref name="maariv20240212">{{Cite web |date=2024-02-12 |title=הכוח חצה 3 גדודי חמאס, החטופים ירדו בסנפלינג: פרטים חדשים על חילוץ החטופים ברפיח |trans-title=The force crossed 3 Hamas battalions, the abductees went down the rappel: new details about the rescue of the abductees in Rafah |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/news/military/Article-1075729 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=www.maariv.co.il |language=he}}</ref> Yamam forces reportedly gained access to the hostage building in central Rafah by abseiling from the roof of a nearby building.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}
When the coordinated airstrikes began the soldiers reportedly covered the hostages with their bodies to protect from debris.<ref name="washingtonpost20240212" /> 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.<ref name="israelnationalnews.com" /><ref name="washingtonpost20240212">{{Cite news |last=Rubin |first=Shira |date=February 12, 2024 |title=Israeli army rescues two hostages amid deadly airstrikes on Rafah |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/12/israel-hostage-rescue-rafah/ |access-date=February 15, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The duration of the operation was about an hour.<ref name="washingtonpost20240212" />
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.<ref name="maariv20240212" /> 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.<ref name="mako20240212" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-13 |title=היו יחד בבית: פרטים חדשים על השבי של פרננדו מרמן ולואיס הר מרפיח |trans-title=They were together at home: new details about the captivity of Fernando Merman and Luis Har Marfih |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/news/military/Article-1075846 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=www.maariv.co.il |language=he}}</ref>
==Aftermath == [[File:Villarruel secuestrados israelies (cropped).jpg|thumb|Argentine vice president Victoria Villarruel (centre) posing with rescued hostage Luis Har (right) along with Har's girlfriend, Clara Marman (left), September 2024. Marman was also kidnapped and taken hostage, but was released 11 weeks earlier, as part of the 2023 Gaza war ceasefire. Fernando Marman, who was rescued along with Har, is Clara's brother. Har and the two Marmans are dual Israeli-Aregentinian citizens.]]
At least 74 Palestinians were confirmed to have been killed by the airstrikes alongside the raid. According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, which pulled information from Rafah hospitals the dead included at least 27 children and 22 women.<ref name="apnews20240213"/>
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.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=2024-02-12 |title=מבצע החילוץ בראש הכותרות בעולם – אבל גם "עשרות ההרוגים" ברפיח |trans-title=The rescue operation is at the top of the world's headlines - but so are the "tens of dead" in Rafah |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/skwwobvot |access-date=2024-02-16 |work=Ynet |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 February 2024 |title=How many Israeli captives have been released or rescued? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/14/how-many-israeli-captives-have-been-released-or-rescued |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref><ref name="theguardian20240212"/><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Ives |first1=Mike |last2=Bigg |first2=Matthew Mpoke |date=2024-02-12 |title=What to Know About the 2 Hostages Israel Rescued From Rafah |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/11/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-hostages-rescued.html |access-date=2024-02-16 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-02-12 |title=Israel rescues two hostages in Rafah, as health officials say 67 people killed by air strikes |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-12/two-more-hostages-released-in-rafah/103456758 |access-date=2024-02-16 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gritten |first=David |date=2024-02-12 |title=Gaza war: What we know about Israel's Rafah hostage rescue raid |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68276452 |access-date=2024-02-16 |work=BBC News}}</ref> 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.<ref name="maariv20240212" />
A Hamas spokesperson called the airstrikes a series of "horrific massacres against defenseless civilians and displaced children, women and the elderly".<ref name="washingtonpost20240212" />
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan has stated that the reports coming from Rafah were cause for deep concern and seemed to be ignoring laws of armed conflict.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Berger |first1=Miriam |last2=Loveluck |first2=Louisa |last3=Harb |first3=Hajar |date=February 12, 2024 |title=Panic mounts in Rafah over looming Israeli offensive after night strikes |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/12/israel-rafah-strikes-panic-offensive/ |access-date=February 14, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> Some such as sports commentator Dave Zirin called it the "Super Bowl Massacre" due to their concurrence with Super Bowl LVIII.<ref name="thenation20240212"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Crimmins |first1=Tricia |title='I doubt this is a coincidence': Israel's bombing of Rafah during the big game dubbed 'Super Bowl Massacre' |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/biden-super-bowl-rafah/ |access-date=13 February 2024 |work=Daily Dot |date=12 Feb 2024}}</ref>
Some commentators pointed out that millions of Americans were celebrating the Super Bowl simultaneously as dozens of Palestinians were being killed.<ref name=tdt>{{cite news |last1=Harmon |first1=Katelin |title=Americans let the Super Bowl distract them from the attacks on Rafah |url=https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2024/02/opinion-column-the-super-bowl-distracts-from-rafah-bombing |publisher=Daily Tarheel |date=February 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Brooke |date=2024-02-13 |title=Biden mocks opponents over Super Bowl as Israel bombs Rafah |url=https://www.newarab.com/news/biden-mocks-opponents-over-super-bowl-israel-bombs-rafah |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=newarab.com |location=Washington, DC |language=en}}</ref> Jewish Voice for Peace stated: "The Israeli military is bombing Rafah, the most densely populated area in the world, while Americans watch the Super Bowl. This is intentional."<ref name=tna>{{cite news |title=Israel Super Bowl ad sells Gaza war to NFL football audience |url=https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-super-bowl-ad-sells-gaza-war-nfl-football-audience |website=newarab.com |date=12 February 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The Super Bowl also aired several ads that pushed the narrative that Israel was at war with Hamas, without mentioning the 29,000 Palestinians who had been killed by the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.<ref name="tdt" /> The ads were sponsored by the Israeli government and cost an estimated $7 million.<ref name="tna" /> The Federal Communications Commission received 10,000 complaints about the ad, as it did not disclose that it was paid for by a foreign government.<ref name="thenation20240212"/>
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee stated that the attacks on Rafah were planned to coincide with the Super Bowl as Israel knew the American public would not be paying attention on other news on that day.<ref name="tna" /> Dave Zirin also said that Israel influencing the American public through ads, as it killed dozens of Palestinians, was "more like military synergy than happenstance."<ref name="thenation20240212"/>
Harvard University students participated in a "die-in" at Widener Library to protest against the airstrikes, which was publicized online by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, and other groups.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Edwards |first1=Sally |last2=Sonnad-Joshi |first2=Aran |date=February 12, 2024 |title=Nearly 200 Harvard Students Hold 'Die-In' Protesting Airstrikes on Rafah {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/2/13/palestine-rafah-die-in/ |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}</ref>
==See also== *Rescue of Ori Megidish *2024 Nuseirat rescue operation
== References == {{Reflist}} {{Gaza war}}
Category:Hostage rescue operations of the Gaza war Category:Operations involving special forces of Israel Category:2024 in Israel Golden Hand Category:Rafah offensive Category:Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip Category:Israeli massacres of Palestinians Category:2024 massacres in the Gaza war Category:Massacres committed by Israel Category:Hostages and abductees in the October 7 attacks Category:February 2024 in Asia