An inside look at Israel's special forces rescue unit fighting terrorists, rescuing hostages: 'Full on Fauda'

When commandos from Israel’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism force launched a daring daytime raid on two homes deep within central Gaza and successfully rescued four hostages who had forcefully been taken across the border on October 7, it was the first time many people would learn of the unit’s existence. 

For years, the operations of Yamam have been shrouded in secrecy. Often, credit for its missions was given to other units. "Up until a few years ago, not many people knew about Yamam’s activities," a unit source told Fox News Digital. But in the age of smartphones and social media, videos of their operations have spread online. "Today, with social media broadcasting operations in real-time, we understand that the rules of the game have changed," the source says.

Yamam — Yeḥida Merkazit Meyuḥedet, in Hebrew, or Special Central Unit — was founded in 1974 as a special unit of Israel’s Border Police, with the primary mission to take control of and resolve hostage situations. In this regard, it is similar to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, but because it also is capable of rapid offensive raids, such as the hostage rescue executed in Gaza in June, it is closely aligned with such elite American units as Delta Force and Navy SEALs, with whom they are also said to train and cooperate.

ISRAEL RESCUES HOSTAGE AFTER 325 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY

"Yamam is like an aircraft carrier with a wide range of in-house capabilities," said Zohar Dvir, a retired unit commander, told Fox News Digital. The unit includes specialists like snipers, bomb disposal experts, canine handlers, medics and undercover agents known as "mista'aravim." "It’s full on 'Fauda," Dvir added.

"Yamam equips its personnel with cutting-edge technology," David Tzur, a retired commander from the group, told Fox News Digital. "The unit serves as a testing ground for innovations, collaborating with civilian and defense industries to refine and replicate technologies for broader use."

"What sets Yamam apart is their ability to carry out thousands of high-risk operations with exceptional precision," Dvir explained.

"Yamam is considered one of the most experienced — if not the most experienced — counter-terrorism units globally," a unit commander speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Fox News Digital. "Because of the realities we face daily, countering terrorist threats in the West Bank, Yamam fighters participate in hundreds of operations each year. After Oct. 7, we joined the fight in Gaza."

As part of a condition of talking to Fox News Digital all current Yamam members withheld their full names due to security considerations.

Intelligence pinpointing the location of the hostages in the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp had been gathered weeks earlier by Shin Bet, Israel’s internal intelligence service, with the help of American and British drones. "We knew about the situation weeks before," explains Captain A., a team leader told Fox News Digital. "We received the mission, studied the target, and began our preparations."

On a Saturday morning, the operatives arrived in civilian trucks at the target locations, which were just a few hundred meters apart. Storming the two locations, they rescued the four hostages. At the first site, Noa Argamani, whose terrified image was seen worldwide as she was shown being taken away on a motorcycle by terrorists from Israel on the morning of October 7, was found. At the second location, they rescued Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov and Almog Meir.

There was resistance, but "everything went according to plan," said Deputy Superintendent A, a key figure in the operation. 

The team faced a particularly challenging situation at Argamani’s location, where they feared one of the terrorists was close to her. "The goal was to get as close to her as quickly as possible, and that’s what we did. We only realized she was alive when A. and D." — two operatives on the team — "shouted, ‘We have a diamond! We have a diamond!’ Once we confirmed she was with us, our priority was to get her out safely," Sgt. Major Y. recounts.

Operatives shielded Argamani with their bodies as they moved her to safety under heavy fire. "She was barefoot, so D. carried her on his back. She was terrified and couldn’t believe what was happening, even when we told her, ‘We’re here to take you home,’" A. told Fox News Digital.

While Argamani’s rescue went smoothly, the situation at the second apartment was far more complicated. As the team entered, they faced "very effective" fire. In the ensuing battle, the team’s commander, Arnon Zmora, was critically injured. "Everything happened very quickly. It was a matter of seconds," recalls Captain A.  

As with the rescue of Argamani, the team shielded the hostages with their body armor and helmets as they evacuated them under fire. "The area was like a hornets’ nest, packed with militants inside and outside," A. says. "We quickly moved [the hostages] towards the military vehicles, all the while taking effective fire from within the apartment and its surrounding."

Though the hostages were rescued unharmed, the end of the mission was tragic for the members of the Yamam team. "We saved the hostages, but we lost one of our own," one of the fighters told Fox Digital News, speaking of Arnon Zmora, a 36-year-old father of two young boys. "But this is both our privilege and our duty," he said. "We’ll fight until the last soldier, no matter the cost."

"While these operations are heroic, they create the illusion that military pressure alone will free the hostages," said Tzur.  "If there’s an operational window for a rescue, we should take it, but ultimately, we’ll need to make a tough and ugly deal. On October 7th, we were caught off guard, and now we’re forced to negotiate with the devil. Only a deal can bring the hostages back alive," he said.

The Nuseirat raid was the third time Yamam was involved in the rescue of hostages kidnapped by Hamas, including that of Private Ori Megidish, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) lookout held captive in the Gaza Strip, and Fernando Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who were held in Rafah. 

As one of Israel’s most elite forces — its operations are often authorized at the highest levels, including the Prime Minister’s Office — the unit’s fighters generally are older than conscripts in the IDF, and they have already experienced intense combat during their service in the IDF. 

When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, YAMAM operatives were the first to respond to the unfolding crisis, fighting across 15 different locations that day, including a 27-hour-long battle against Hamas’s elite Nukba force at the police station in Sderot, an Israeli city adjacent to the northern border with Gaza. Nine Yamam fighters were killed in that fight. 

"They prevented the advance of Hamas' elite forces northward, stopping them at Yad Mordechai and neutralizing many of them. The team, led by Arnon Zmora, halted their progress towards Ashdod, Ashkelon, and even as far as Tel Aviv," said Dvir and added, "they eliminated more than 200 terrorists."

"We fight for two reasons," said G., a Yamam fighter who was in the Sderot battle. "One is the desire to destroy the enemy and to be the first to engage them. But much stronger than that," he says, "is the desire to save lives."