How Gaza hostage raid ended with Israel striking crowded streets

Two days after Israel’s operation to free four of its citizens from central Gaza, more details are emerging of how Saturday’s rescue mission unfolded and of the hostages’ eight months in captivity.

The Hamas run Health Ministry says at least 274 Palestinians were killed and almost 700 injured in the assault.

Israeli special forces freed female hostage Noa Argamani using the element of surprise – but another team which had freed three male hostages came under attack prompting the Israeli military to launch massive air strikes on crowded nearby streets as covering fire, killing scores of Palestinians.

After weeks of meticulous planning and acting on intelligence, the green light for the operation dubbed Seeds of Summer was given by Israel’s war cabinet last Thursday evening.

Around 10:00 local time on Saturday morning and in broad daylight, two teams of Israeli special forces, some disguised as Palestinians, crossed into Gaza. It’s thought they were travelling in at least one truck and in civilian cars.

The streets of the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp were busy with people shopping in a nearby market.

The targets were two residential apartments a few hundred meters apart.

Eyewitness Isaam Jameel Arouqi told the BBC some of the Israeli soldiers came from a truck full of furniture.

He said there were two in civilian clothes and around 10 in masks and military uniforms.

“Suddenly, special forces came out of it and started shooting,” he said.

Speaking from hospital, Mr Arouqi says he was shot three times in the chest and stomach.

There are reports of a second truck with mattresses on top from which a second team emerged, possibly using a ladder to get into one apartment.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says the operation to free 25-year-old Noa Argamani went smoothly as special forces took her captors by surprise, and quickly killed the guards.

Israel’s Channel 12 television, which has spoken to Miss Argamani’s family, says the young woman told them she had been asked to wash the dishes on the morning of the raid.

According to Channel 12, she suddenly saw the Israeli soldiers with masked faces who said “Noa it’s the IDF”.

One solider asked if he could pick her up over his shoulder.

Only then did she realise what was happening.

After being transported by car she was then flown out of Gaza by helicopter.

Her 246-day ordeal was over.