The Israel Police Spokesperson's Unit released dramatic footage of the daring hostage rescue operation conducted by Israel's elite Yamam counter-terrorism force, highlighting the unit's exceptional skills and dedication in saving lives at any risk.
When commandos from Israel's elite Yamam counter-terrorism force launched a daring daytime raid on two homes deep within central Gaza on October 7, 2022, successfully rescuing four hostages who had forcefully been taken across the border, it was a watershed moment for the unit.
For years, Yamam's operations have been shrouded in secrecy, and it was often not publicly known when they carried out their missions, with credit given to other units instead. "Up until a few years ago, not many people knew about Yamam's activities," a unit source told Fox News Digital.
Inside the Elite Israeli Counter-Terror Unit: Yamam's Daring Hostage Rescue
However, in the age of smartphones and social media, videos of their operations have spread online, changing the rules of the game for Yamam.
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.
Inside the Elite Israeli Counter-Terror Unit: Yamam's Daring Hostage Rescue
Similar to the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team, Yamam is also capable of rapid offensive raids, such as the hostage rescue executed in Gaza in June 2023, making it comparable to elite American units like Delta Force and Navy SEALs, with whom they have trained and cooperated.
"Yamam is like an aircraft carrier with a wide range of in-house capabilities," said Zohar Dvir, a retired unit commander, to Fox News Digital. The unit includes specialists like snipers, bomb disposal experts, canine handlers, medics, and undercover agents known as "mista'aravim."
Inside the Elite Israeli Counter-Terror Unit: Yamam's Daring Hostage Rescue
"It's full on 'Fauda," Dvir added, referring to the popular Israeli TV series about the exploits of an undercover unit in the West Bank.
Yamam equips its personnel with cutting-edge technology, serving as a testing ground for innovations and collaborating with civilian and defense industries to refine and replicate technologies for broader use.
Inside the Elite Israeli Counter-Terror Unit: Yamam's Daring Hostage Rescue
Yamam played a critical role in the recent rescue of four hostages held by Hamas terrorists. 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 who spoke to Fox News Digital. "We received the mission, studied the target, and began our preparations."
Inside the Elite Israeli Counter-Terror Unit: Yamam's Daring Hostage Rescue
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.
Inside the Elite Israeli Counter-Terror Unit: Yamam's Daring Hostage Rescue
While the hostages were rescued unharmed, the end of the mission was tragic for Yamam. In the intense battle at the second apartment, the team's commander, Arnon Zmora, was critically injured. "Everything happened very quickly. It was a matter of seconds," recalls Captain A.
As one of Israel's most elite forces, Yamam's fighters are generally older than conscripts in the IDF and have experienced intense combat during their service.
Inside the Elite Israeli Counter-Terror Unit: Yamam's Daring Hostage Rescue
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.
Inside the Elite Israeli Counter-Terror Unit: Yamam's Daring Hostage Rescue
"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."
