A daring rescue mission in broad daylight - podcast episode cover

A daring rescue mission in broad daylight

Jun 09, 202417 min
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Episode description

Israel rescued four people held hostage by Hamas on Saturday. We unpack what this means for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app.

This episode of The Front is presented and produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Josh Burton. Our regular host is Claire Harvey. The multimedia editor is Lia Tsamoglou and original music is composed by Jasper Leak.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Speaker 1

You can listen to the Front on your smart speaker every morning to hear the latest episode. Just say play the news from The Australian. From the Australian, here's what's on the Front. I'm Christinamo. It's Monday, June tenth. Caerman Peter Costello has resigned from the board of the Nine Entertainment company. The former treasurer called at quits just days after a physical confrontation with a journalist from The Australian

at Canberra Airport. His resignation is effective immediately and he'll be replaced by board member Katherine West on Sunday afternoon. Mister Costello thanked the board for its support during a tumultuous few weeks for the media company. You can read that story right now at the Australian dot com dot AU. A body has been found on the Greek Island see Me, where a major search is underway for British TV doctor

Michael Moseley. The remains were found by occupants of a private boat on the Rocky coastline near an intricate cave system known as the Abyss. An umbrella was also discovered nearby. Local police believe the body belongs to Moseley, who disappeared during a walk on Wednesday afternoon. CCTV captured footage of

Moseley carrying an umbrella before he vanished. Israeli troops pulled off a daring rescue mission over the weekend, reuniting four people snatched by Hamas on October seven with their families in Israel. In today's episode, The Australian's Foreign editor Greg Sheridan unpacks what this means for the Middle East and hopes of a permanency's fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Speaker 2

Jakove Aaschel Noa.

Speaker 1

On Saturday afternoon local time, an anchor broke the news on Israeli TV four civilians held captive for eight long months had been freed. He broke down in tears as he read their names on the beach in Tel Aviv, where it was twenty six degrees and sunny. The reaction was one of pure joy. The rescue operation was risky and complex. Hostages were spread out across two apartment blocks

in Gaza's Al Nuserat region. It's the third largest refugee camp in the Palestinian territories, and its teeming with civilians displaced by the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Harmas militant group. Raiding the buildings separately would mean certain death for hostage held in whichever one Israeli forces struck. Second, if it was going to work, it had to happen

swiftly and simultaneously. Shortly before midday on Saturday, the israel military's chief of staff, Hertzi Helevi, gave the order it was time to go. Palestinians described their fear and confusion as bombs rained down, a strike designed to divert attention away from the rescue. After a brief gunfight in one of the buildings and a counter attack by her Mass fighters in the streets of Nuserat, one of the Israeli commanders sent word via radio, we had the diamonds in

our hands. The four hostages were whisked away to a nearby beach and loaded into helicopters that would take them finally home to Israel. The Israelis rescued in the broad Daylight mission were all snatched from the No over At music festival on October seven, where hundreds more were massacred. They are Andre Koslov and Shlamiziv, who were both working as security guards at the festival and al Moghmiayan and Noah Agamani.

Speaker 3

Noah Agamani has become a symbol of Israel's hostages being held in Gaza, Filmed on the back of a motorbike being taken into Gaza by Hamas militants from the festival used in Hamas propaganda videos. While in captivity, today she is free hugging her father, waiting to visit her terminli il mother in a separate hospital.

Speaker 1

The daring rescue comes at a crucial moment for Israel, when public faith is flagging. Criticism is mounting around the globe too, as a humanitarian crisis unfolds in Gaza and Palestinian civilians become collateral damage in Israel's pursuit of Hamas.

Speaker 4

It's an extraordinarily successful operation by the Israeli commandos.

Speaker 1

Greg Sheridan is the Australian's Foreign editor.

Speaker 4

Israelis have found it very difficult to conduct this type of operation up till now because Hummas stores its hostages in the middle of civilians, and that puts some moral cost on any operation that Israel embarks on to rescue its hostages. It also is the case that by surrounding the hostages with Palestinian civilians, the minute there's an attack, the terrorists will kill the hostages. But you know, this

operation shows us quite a few things. It shows us not only that the Israeli commando is a very competent, but it shows us that as a matter of policy, Humas was keeping these innocent hostages in the middle of Palestinian sivilians. So it was exposing the Palestinians to massive danger intentionally as a part of its geo strategic purposes. Then another thing we know from this operation is that there was a very severe firefight, rocket propelled grenades launched

by Hamas terrorists and so forth against the Israelis. So that also tells us that Hummas terrorists are embedded there in the midst of a refugee camp, in the middle of civilians. This is the Hammas way of war, and this is what Hamas wants. They want Israel to be forced to go through the civilian population in order to get to them. I mean, the overwhelming moral responsibility for

all of the suffering in Gaza lies with Hammas. So it is at least possible that the symbolic power of this moment will lead to a change both within Israel and internationally. I guess the hardest thing to predict is the effect that this has on the dark, savage, nehilistic reasoning of Hummas's leadership itself. I mean, they could have had a ceasefire any time out of the last three months,

in a minute, you know. Time and again the Americans have said, and the British have said, the Israelis have come up with an extremely generous cease fire, and all we've got to do is get how Mus to agree. But the world astoundingly doesn't put Hamas under much pressure to do this, and Hummus's Arab inelocutors are very ineffective and putting them under any pressure. And I think it's a tribute to the nihilism and savagery of Hummas that it wants this situation to persist because it sees Israel

continuing to be criticized and damaged internationally. The party standing in the way of a ceasefire. It's been this way for months is Hummas. Because Hummas likes this situation. It wants all this suffering because it's doing Israel damage in

terms of its international reputation. But I think today you just focus on the wonderful news that for completely innocent people who were subject to terror and torture and just hideous cruelty by the world's most to pray of terrorists, freedom rescued and back with their families.

Speaker 1

For months now, negotiators from Kata, Egypt, and the United States have been working on a ceasefire deal that would see the remaining Israeli hostages freed and end the bloodshed in Gaza, and for months now a deal has been elusive. On May thirty one, US President Joe Biden proposed a

three phase solution on Israel's behalf. He said it would include the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the exchange of israel hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, and the repatriation of hostages killed during the conflict, an increase in humanitarian aid, and a permanent ceasefire.

Speaker 5

I know there are those in Israel who will not agree with this plan and will call for the war to continue indefinitely. Some are even in the government coalition, and they've made it clear they want to occupy Gaza, want to keep fighting for years and the hostages are not a priority to them. Well, I've urged the leadership Isuel to stand behind this deal despite whatever pressure comes.

Speaker 1

But later Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanya, who reportedly told lawmakers Biden's proposal is incomplete. Far right members of his cabinet alleged the proposal was drawn up by the US without authorization, meaning Israel isn't legally required to commit to it. Hamas said, its enemy's position is unclear. So where do the weekend's events leave a cease fire deal?

Speaker 4

The American Secretary of State Anthony Blincoln, the American National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the British Foreign Secretary David Cameron have said on a number of occasions, and quite clearly and repeatedly and explicitly, Israel has offered an extremely generous cease fire. Now, Joe Biden's three parts plan is a terrific plan, but it relies on a lot of things happening in the future which you can't predict. So I think it's analytically, politically, and morally quite wrong to equate

Hummas and Israel as being equal roadblocks to a ceasefire. Now, I do think there is something dysfunctional about Netnyahu's position at the moment, and those two right wing ministers are grubs, and it'd been much better for Israel and all of its friends all around the world if they weren't in the government. But I don't think any Israeli prime minister would have handled this conflict up to now much differently

from the way it's been handled now. And you know, the Alberzi government says Hummus must have no part whatsoever in Garza's future and all the hostages must be released, but then it tells Israel to stop fighting at the same time, well, how are you going to stop Hummas from having any role in Garza's future or get the Israeli hostages released? Israel leaves Garza permanently as Hummas is demanding it do so, the question is does Hummas have

any interest in a ceasefire or not? And the idea that the Israelis will just stop and leave Hummas completely in charge so that it can rebuild itself and launch new waves of terror assaults on Israel in the future, I mean that was never ago, that hasn't been offered by the Israelis at any point and wouldn't be offered by any Israeli Prime minister. At the same time, I'm critical of Netnyahu for not coming up with his own clear plan of how Garza should be run once the

fighting stops. So it's extraordinarily murky. But let's be absolutely clear about this. The object to a ceasefire is not Israel. The object to a ceasefire is Hummas.

Speaker 1

Coming up the high human cost of Israel's risky rescue missions. Subscribers to The Australian get access to this kind of de heiled analysis around the clock. A subscription also includes breaking news alerts, lively commentary newsletters and access to special events. Check us out at the Australian dot com dot au.

We'll be back after this break. When Hamas launched its deadly attack on southern Israel on October seven, two hundred and fifty people, including infants, children and elderly people, were taken into unknown horror over the border. They were hidden in areas densely populated by Palestinian civilians, schools, hospitals, and apartment buildings like the ones featured at the top of this episode. Before Saturday's daring mission, about one hundred and

twenty hostages remained in captivity across Gaza. Dozens have died. Only seven in including the group of four rescued on the weekend, have been freed through military operations, but Israel's leaders say their nation's retaliation against Hamas in Gaza will continue. In a post made to the social media platform x formerly known as Twitter on Saturday, Defense Minister Joev Gallant said, we will keep fighting until one hundred and twenty hostages

are home. Their loved ones have urged the international community to maintain pressure on her Mass to accept the proposed deal and guarantee their release.

Speaker 2

That's not the way we can win one hundred and twenty ostges back home. We must all of us together the wards, follow President Biden speech and go with the deal.

Speaker 1

The human cost of these kinds of operations is high. Representatives for Hamas said at least two hundred and ten people were killed in the crossfire of Saturday's rescue operation and hundreds more were wounded. It's not known how many of those were her Mass soldiers. The Israeli Defense Force said the number was closer to one hundred killed or injured.

Speaker 3

An endless cycle of dead and wounded rushed into Alaxamata's hospital Saturday, a medical center already well over capacity and dangerously understaffed and undersupplied. It is a jarring view of two clashing impacts of one rescue mission.

Speaker 1

So for how much longer will the end justify the means?

Speaker 4

Israel will have to make the calculation itself how much the military imperative of destroying Hummas weighs against the success of Hammas's international political campaign. Now, let me be clear, these deaths are a terrible tragedy. We mustn't be casual about them, and we have to honor them as human lives.

But as I say, the moral responsibility for this rests one hundred percent with Hummas, because there is no nation on the Earth, including Australia, which would not respond strongly if an October seven attack were carried out on it, and would not respond strongly in trying to get back as hostages. How long can they do it? Well, of course, until they get their hostages back. I mean, all of

violence could stop tomorrow if Hamas released the hostages. I don't think that the Israelis will give up on their hostages. And it's a very very difficult conflict to predict, because you see, Hammas doesn't really operate by rational or moral considerations at all. You're not dealing with a normal human actor.

I mean, Hamas is absolutely indifferent to the suffering of the Palestinian people, and therefore it takes actions against Israel which more or less necessitate a strong Israeli military response. I certainly believe, as the late Australian soldier Jim Molan concluded when he conducted inquiries, that Israel behaves as morally as any Western army would in these circumstances, tries hard

to reduce civilian casualties. But that's not to deny that the political campaign against Israelia has been tremendously effective, and it's been presented as a monster when it is a democratic state trying to protect its citizens against assault by the most depraved and savage and barbaric terrorists we've seen in modern times.

Speaker 1

Greg Sheridan is The Australian's Foreign editor. It was one of the most memorable Prime ministerships in Australian political history. As part of the Australian's sixtieth anniversary celebrations, we're revisiting the momentous rise and fall of the Whitlam government. You can read the paper's original nineteen seventies coverage right now at the Australian dot com dot au

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