Operation Golden Hand | |||||||
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Part of the background of the Rafah offensive, Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and Israel–Hamas war | |||||||
![]() One of the rescued hostages receiving medical care in an Israeli hospital and reuniting with their families | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Operation Golden Hand (Hebrew: יד זהב) was an IDF operation in cooperation with the Shin Bet and Yamam (Israel's National Counter-Terror Unit, part of the Israeli Police) for the rescue of two hostages who were kidnapped to Rafah during the Nir Yitzhak attack on 7 October 2023. The operation commenced on February 12, 2024, at 1:49 AM during combat in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war, and ended successfully with the rescue of the hostages, along with a soldier who was lightly injured during the operation.[1][2] The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 94 Palestinians were killed by Israel in the coordinated early morning airstrikes that were used as cover for the operation.[3]