Several hours ago, IDF special forces raided the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on a very special mission: to rescue hostages held there. Today, these are back home with their families:

Noa was the young woman seen in video being whisked away from the music festival on the back of a motorcycle into Gaza. She was held in a separate building from the three men. All were in civilian homes, being paid by Hamas to hold them. (So much for the “innocent civilian” narrative put forth by worldwide propaganda.)

According to reports, there were about 200 terrorists guarding the hostages near a busy marketplace. An IDF special forces unit arrived in a truck bearing a Gaza license plate and presumed to be transporting furniture. As the commandos stormed the building, approximately 50 of those guarding hostages ran away. Another 55 were killed and others were left with injuries preventing them from adequately defending the area. While that was taking place, other IDF special ops units arrived from another direction to whisk away the hostages.

Sadly, Captain Arnon Zamora, the team commander who led the mission and was first to breach the compound, was killed by terrorists. His heroism will be forever memorialized as PM Benjamin Netanyahu is working to change the name of the operation from Operation Summer Seeds to Operation Arnon. However, the family is left to grieve his loss.

As we offer praise and rejoicing to God for the rescue of hostages, please also offer up prayers for this man’s family. May his memory be a blessing.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
~John 15:13

Though it is thought (and some social media posts have suggested) that perhaps a high-level Hamas leader was likely using these hostages as human shields, no news has been confirmed of the capture or elimination of any Hamas leaders.

More to come, but today is a day of rejoicing!