When commandos from Israel’s elite Yamam counterterrorism force launched a daring daylight raid on two houses inside central Gaza and Four hostages were successfully rescued who were forcibly taken across the border on October 7. This was the first time that many people became aware of the existence of this unit.
For many years, Yamam’s operations have been kept secret. Often, its missions were attributed to another unit. “Until a few years ago, not many people knew about Yamam’s activities,” a source in the unit told Fox News Digital. But in the age of smartphones and social media, videos of their operations have spread online. “Today, with operations being broadcast in real time on social media, we understand that the rules of the game have changed,” the source said.
Yamam — Yehidah Merkazit Meyuhedet in Hebrew, or Special Central Unit — was founded in 1974 as a special unit of Israel’s Border Police, whose primary mission was to control and resolve hostage situations. In this respect, it is similar to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, but because it is also capable of conducting fast offensive raids, such as the hostage rescue carried out in Gaza in June, it is closely associated with elite American units such as Delta Force and the Navy SEALs, with whom they also train and cooperate.
Israel rescues hostage after 325 days in Hamas captivity
A Yamam counter-terrorism unit in action somewhere in Israel. (Israel Police Spokesperson Unit)
“The Yamam is like an aircraft carrier, with a wide range of internal capabilities,” retired unit commander Zohar Dvir told Fox News Digital. The unit includes specialists such as snipers, bomb disposal experts, dog handlers, medics and undercover agents known as “mista’aravim.” “It’s completely ‘Fauda,'” Dvir said.
“YAMAM equips its personnel with cutting-edge technology,” David Tzur, a retired commander of the group, told Fox News Digital. “The unit serves as a testing ground for innovation, collaborating with civilian and defense industries to refine and replicate technologies for wider use.”
“What sets Yamam apart is their ability to carry out thousands of high-risk operations with exceptional precision,” Dvir said.
“YAMAM is considered one of the most experienced counterterrorism units worldwide, if not the most experienced,” the unit commander told Fox News Digital, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Due to the realities we face every day in countering terrorist threats in the West Bank, YAMAM fighters participate in hundreds of operations every year. After October 7, we joined the fighting in Gaza.”
Race against time
Recently, Yamam members played an important role in rescuing four people held hostage by Hamas terrorists. (Israel Police Spokesperson Unit)
All current Yamam members spoke to Fox News Digital under the condition that their full names be withheld for security reasons.
precise location intelligence The number of hostages in the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp was learned by Israel’s internal intelligence service, Shin Bet, a few weeks ago with the help of American and British drones. “We were made aware of the situation a few weeks ago,” team leader Captain A. told Fox News Digital. “We received the mission, we studied the target and started our preparations.”
On Saturday morning, the activists arrived in civilian trucks at the target locations, which were a few hundred meters apart. Storming two locations, they rescued four hostages. At the first location, Noa Arghamani was found, whose terrified image was seen around the world when he was taken away on a motorcycle by Israeli terrorists on the morning of October 7. At the second location, they rescued Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov, and Almog Meir.
Deputy Superintendent A, who played a key role in the operation, said there was resistance, but “everything went according to plan.”
Snipers from the Yamam counter-terrorism unit keep an eye on enemy forces. (Israel Police Spokesperson Unit)
The team faced a particularly challenging situation at Arghamani’s location, where they feared one of the terrorists was close to her. “The goal was to get close to her as quickly as possible, and that’s what we did. We only found out she was alive when A. and D” – two of the team’s operatives – “yelled, ‘We have Heera! We have Heera!’ Once we confirmed she was with us, our priority was to get her out safely,” recalls Sgt. Maj. Y.
The security personnel carried Arghamani to safety with their bodies amid heavy gunfire. “She was barefoot, so D. carried her on his back. She was scared and couldn’t believe what was happening, even when we told her, ‘We’ve come to take you home,'” A. told Fox News Digital.
Chief Inspector Arnón Zamora was killed during the raid. (IDF)
While the rescue of Argamani went smoothly, the situation in the other apartment was much more complicated. As soon as the team entered, they encountered “very effective” fire. In the ensuing battle, the team commander, Arnon Zamora, was seriously wounded. “Everything happened very quickly. It was a matter of seconds,” said Capt. A.
Like the rescue of Arghamani, the team protected the hostages with their body armor and helmets as they evacuated them through the crossfire. “The area was like a wasp’s nest, filled with terrorists inside and outside,” says A. “We quickly moved (the hostages) to military vehicles, all the while facing effective fire from the apartment and its surroundings.”
Yamam troops are carrying out weekend rescue operations in the Gaza Strip amid heavy shelling. (IDF)
Although the hostages were rescued safely, the end of the mission was tragic for the Yamam team members. “We saved the hostages, but we lost one of our comrades,” one of the fighters told Fox Digital News, talking about Arnon Zamora, 36, a father of two young boys. “But it is both our privilege and our duty,” he added. “We will fight to the last soldier, no matter the cost.”
“These operations are heroic, but they create the illusion that the hostages can be freed only through military pressure,” Tzur said. “If there is an operational window for rescue, we should take it, but ultimately, we will have to make a difficult and ugly deal. On October 7, we were shocked, and now we are forced to negotiate with the devil. Only a deal can bring the hostages back alive,” he said.
The raid on Nuseirat was the third time Yamam had been involved in rescuing hostages kidnapped by Hamas, including one man. Private Ori MegidishThey include an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) watchman captured in the Gaza Strip, and Fernando Merman, 60, and Louis Haar, 70, captured in Rafah.
Soldiers from the Yamam counter-terrorism unit are deployed somewhere in Israel. (Israel Police Spokesperson Unit)
As one of Israel’s most elite forces – its actions are often authorized at the highest levels, including the Prime Minister’s Office – the unit’s fighters are generally older than soldiers recruited into the IDF, and have already experienced intense combat during their service in the IDF.
When? Hamas attacked Israel on October 7Yamam operatives were among the first to respond to the crisis, fighting in 15 different locations that day, including a 27-hour-long battle against Hamas’ elite Nukba force at a police station in the Israeli town of Sderot along the northern border with Gaza. Nine Yamam fighters were killed in that battle.
Noa Arghamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 41, and Andrei Kozlov, 27, were rescued from two separate locations during a complex special daytime operation in the heart of Nuseirat in central Gaza. (IDF)
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“They prevented Hamas’ elite forces from moving north, stopped them at Yad Mordechai and neutralized many of them. The team led by Arnon Zmora stopped their advance to Ashdod, Ashkelon and even Tel Aviv,” Dvir said and added, “They killed more than 200 terrorists.”
“We fight for two reasons,” said G., a Yamam fighter who took part in the Sderot battle. “One is the desire to destroy the enemy and to be the first to encounter them. But an even stronger desire,” he says, “is the desire to save lives.”
