Operation Summer Seeds
The story of the Israeli hostage rescue
As the dust settles in Gaza after the daring hostage rescue operation on Saturday, 8th June 2024, here are the facts I have been able to gather from open source reporting. Here is my analysis of how the operation unfolded.
The Intelligence Phase
In many ways, this is the hardest part to get right of any military operation. An area such as the urban environment of Nuseirat is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Ascertaining what is true and what is not is a painstaking business of corroboration and confirmation. The proven best approach is “layering”, where an intelligence cell will take all of the intelligence collection available and create the most rounded picture possible.
This will include human intelligence sources (ie, informers, who may be ideologically or financially motivated); open source media intelligence (the analysis of media, social media and similar that might be available); image analysis; aerial reconnaissance through drones and aircraft fitted with camera pods; electronic warfare (computer hacking) and signals intelligence (essentially, phone intercepts). In extremis, covert surveillance Special Forces units may be deployed to physically get “eyes on” the target.
Israel will have used a combination of these things, and there is convincing reporting that both US and British intelligence assets were used to support this operation, although the Washington Post reports that this was secondary to Israeli intelligence already collected. Open source flight data shows significant US MQ-9 Reaper overflights of the Nuseirat area prior to the raid.
Intelligence was able to confirm two locations for the hostages, as well as that they had been repeatedly moved since being taken. They were held in residential buildings, 3-4 stories high, approximately 200 metres apart, separated by narrow alleyways and surrounded by tents of displaced Gazans. It was confirmed that Noa Argamami was held alone and the three men were held together. There are rumours that the house of Al Jazeera journalist Abdullah al-Jamal was used to hold hostage(s) but the truth is thus far unclear.
This intelligence gathering would have taken weeks. The confirmed intelligence led to extensive planning. The usual military process is planning; delivery of orders; and then extensive rehearsals, using models and mock-ups of the objectives. For a raid of this nature, approval would have been needed right from the top. For example, in Afghanistan, similar Special Forces raids required Presidential authorisation. It is reported that political authorisation for the mission was given on Thursday evening.