The IDF’s operation to rescue four hostages from the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip took a “turning point” and required last-minute maneuvering by aerial forces, an air force pilot who took part in the rescue of Noa Argamani told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
Four hostages, including 26-year-old Argamani, were rescued from two separate nearby locations in the daring joint operation carried out by the IDF, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and the police’s National Counterterrorism Unit Yamam in broad daylight.
Capt. “R.,” a pilot in the Israel Air Force’s 124th Squadron who flew the Blackhawk helicopter that carried Noa to safety, spoke to the Post on the successful rescue mission, his sense of pride in doing something “invaluable” and the pitfalls expertly navigated by Israeli forces.
Israeli rescue pilot: Operation was 'diligent, precise'
The operation, which had been planned for “several months,” was carried out “in a diligent, precise manner,” the pilot said, praising the cooperation between Israeli forces of the IDF, Shin Bet, and Yamam.
As per R., the operation had to be kept completely under wraps as “any instance of data security leaks could have impacted the execution of the plan. We only told those who had to know.”
R. spoke on the initial moments of the rescue mission’s launch, describing the silent tension as ground forces began raiding the Nuseirat camp in the heart of Gaza.
“We began our final briefing as the ground forces already began operating,” R. told the Post.
“In the moment, you are focused and completely fixated on your mission. Every part of you is thinking about how to carry out your tasks in the most professional manner.
“You cannot be distracted by everything going on around you,” he said.
R. explained that his forces were waiting in a safe zone near the camp as the rescue mission was underway. “We stayed in that area, the closest you can be without being in the line of fire.
“Everyone is sitting and listening to their communication devices, waiting for an order to move forward.”
The moment everything changed for Israel's forces
As R. was waiting to transport hostages and wounded forces out of Gaza, they received word that the situation was “unraveling” in the camp. This was when the operation had its turning point, he said.
“My helicopter was supposed to transport our forces out of the fighting zone while another helicopter was set to get Noa out,” the rescue pilot revealed. “The second helicopter’s capabilities were damaged [in the operation], so we received the command to move areas.”
The pilot further revealed that the Israeli forces prepared for this change of plans and carried it out in mere minutes. But as 'R' told the Post, "We prepared for all the possible scenarios. Nothing can surprise us."
Following the quick maneuvering, the helicopter landed in the safe zone where they awaited the forces’ arrival, with Noa in tow.
As R. and his unit witnessed Noa heading toward the helicopter, a “mantle of composure melted away. The magnitude of the moment struck,” he recalled.
“I saw Noa and the forces accompanying her enter the helicopter, and I immediately reported that the ‘diamond is with us’ and is in good health.”
He noted that, though they could not communicate with her or have a face-to-face conversation on the helicopter, the smile on Noa’s face “filled my heart.”
“I was told she kept saying ‘thank you’ to everyone all the way to the hospital. It warms the heart.”
R. described these moments of the rescue as the feeling of carrying out something invaluable. “She must have experienced a dramatic change, from the darkness and despair [of captivity] to soaring the skies of Israel on a helicopter.
“To have our diamond in the helicopter and bring it to the hospital... You think of the light and joy that this diamond has brought to our nation,” the pilot said, referring to Noa.
“We want to take this light and the hope and move it forward.”
During the interview, R. requested to send his condolences to the family of a “hero of Israel,” Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora, who fell during the operation. The mission was retroactively renamed Operation Arnon in his honor by the IDF, a decision confirmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
R. explained that, after they dropped the rescued hostage at the hospital for treatment, they needed to return to Gaza and transport more forces out of the fighting zone. He thanked all the Israeli ground forces who took part in the operation, stating that missions like these are the “only situations in which the Israeli public is exposed to the sacred work done by our forces. Our nation owes them,” he emphasized.
R. further stressed his joy at participating in the operation: “It’s a massive honor to be a part of this amazing thing that beamed a ray of light on our people.”
We “are taking care of our sons and daughters.”