Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Details of Israeli Attempts to Free Hostages

Pictures of Israeli hostages on a wall in Tel Aviv (AFP)
Pictures of Israeli hostages on a wall in Tel Aviv (AFP)
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Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Details of Israeli Attempts to Free Hostages

Pictures of Israeli hostages on a wall in Tel Aviv (AFP)
Pictures of Israeli hostages on a wall in Tel Aviv (AFP)

Israel has deployed “Arabist” special forces units to attack suspected sites housing alive hostages, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Palestinian armed factions sources revealed details about the operations of Israeli special forces to release detainees in the Gaza Strip, whether dead or alive.

The sources spoke about three operations, one of which resulted in freeing a female captive, while another failed. In one of the operations, the forces were able to extract the bodies of killed Israelis.

They explained that the successful operation led to the release of soldier Ori Megidish on October 27, the night of the expanded ground operation in the Strip. They described it as quick and accurate amid heavy air cover, noting that military forces were on alert near the northwestern border of the enclave.

- Freeing Megidish

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the operation took place inside a house on Hamid Street in the al-Shati Camp, west of Gaza City, when a special unit infiltrated the area, using an ambulance with two armed members of the force inside.

Field investigations conducted by Hamas revealed that the force infiltrated from the northwestern area of the Strip near al-Atatra until reaching the camp.

Investigations revealed that the Israeli perpetrators were fluent in Arabic and attacked the place with silenced firearms. They immediately opened fire on those inside the house, then introduced themselves to the captive and took her to the northwestern border with Beit Lahia.

The sources added that a vehicle bearing a Palestinian registration plate accompanied the force in case of emergency.

Warplanes flew intensely and led an air cover operation by launching mock raids. They attacked the vicinity of the al-Rimal neighborhood and other nearby areas.

Two hours after the operation, warplanes bombed the house, and according to the sources, the captive was with a small armed group, and she was transferred to the house in preparation to hand her over to al-Qassam Brigades.

However, Israeli intelligence was able to monitor these movements and succeeded in reaching her a few hours before transferring her to another safe house.

At the time, al-Qassam Brigades denied, through an audio recording of its spokesman, Israel’s story about the liberation of the female soldier, stressing that even if the operation had happened, she might have been detained by other parties.

- Failed Operation

On December 08, the Israeli forces launched a failed operation in the Nuseirat camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip.

Several members of the special unit were killed and injured during the operation, including the captured soldier. The incident occurred in a small house adjacent to a school in the camp, where there were thousands of displaced people.

According to the sources, the force was able to infiltrate through two civilian vehicles with a Palestinian registration plate, and they arrived at the house before al-Qassam members clashed with them.

The clashes escalated for more than 40 minutes, and the force entered the targeted location attempting to free the soldier. The Israeli army then involved warplanes, bombing the area’s surroundings to ensure the special force was not besieged by any additional Palestinian fighters.

The unit then withdrew from the place, amidst violent gunfire, towards the coastal area of Nuseirat.

The al-Qassam Brigades said that its troops thwarted an Israeli attempt to release a captive and clashed with it, which led to the killing and wounding of the soldiers.

The military aircraft intervened and raided the place to cover their withdrawal.

- Captive Gets Killed

Al-Qassam said it had inflicted military casualties upon the occupation troops engaged in the rescue operation, adding that the Israeli captive named Saar Baruch, holding the card number 207775032, was killed in the process.

Israel admitted that two soldiers were seriously injured, and the mission to rescue the captured soldier had failed.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that many Israeli raids failed after it became clear that there were no captives, and some of them were unable to reach the targeted sites.

Israel is trying to reach its prisoners and any possible bodies in Gaza instead of making exchange deals.

The sources said that the Israeli army succeeded in finding some bodies by exhuming graves and examining them. They confirmed that the army exhumed bodies from public cemeteries and temporary graves dug during the war in some squares.

The Palestinian factions numbered the Israeli bodies to identify and hand them over upon completion of any exchange deal.

The sources noted that the army exhumed several bodies from the graves to confirm their authenticity, including the bodies of Palestinians, adding that the procedure continues to this day.



What to Know About the Flash Floods in Texas That Killed over 100 People

 Firefighters from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, transport a recovered body on the flooded Guadalupe River days after a flash flood swept through the area, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. (AP)
Firefighters from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, transport a recovered body on the flooded Guadalupe River days after a flash flood swept through the area, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. (AP)
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What to Know About the Flash Floods in Texas That Killed over 100 People

 Firefighters from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, transport a recovered body on the flooded Guadalupe River days after a flash flood swept through the area, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. (AP)
Firefighters from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, transport a recovered body on the flooded Guadalupe River days after a flash flood swept through the area, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. (AP)

Flash floods in Texas killed at least 100 people over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and left others still missing, including girls attending a summer camp. The devastation along the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, has drawn a massive search effort as officials face questions over their preparedness and the speed of their initial actions.

Here's what to know about the deadly flooding, the colossal weather system that drove it in and around Kerr County, Texas, and ongoing efforts to identify victims.

Massive rain hit at just the wrong time, in a flood-prone place

The floods grew to their worst at the midpoint of a long holiday weekend when many people were asleep.

The Texas Hill Country in the central part of the state is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up. Friday's flash floods started with a particularly bad storm that dropped most of its 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in the dark early morning hours.

After a flood watch notice midday Thursday, the National Weather Service office issued an urgent warning around 4 a.m. that raised the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life. By at least 5:20 a.m., some in the Kerrville City area say water levels were getting alarmingly high. The massive rain flowing down hills sent rushing water into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.

Death toll is expected to rise and the number of missing is uncertain

In Kerr County, home to youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Monday morning. Fatalities in nearby counties brought the total number of deaths to 94 as of Monday afternoon.

Ten girls and a counselor were still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.

For past campers, the tragedy turned happy memories into grief.

Beyond the Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for, the number of missing from other nearby campgrounds and across the region had not been released.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday had said that there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said during a Monday news conference he couldn't give an estimate of the number of people still missing, only saying “it is a lot.”

Officials face scrutiny over flash flood warnings

Survivors have described the floods as a “pitch black wall of death” and said they received no emergency warnings.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said Saturday that “nobody saw this coming.” Officials have referred to it as a “100-year-flood,” meaning that the water levels were highly unlikely based on the historical record.

And records behind those statistics don’t always account for human-caused climate change. Though it’s hard to connect specific storms to a warming planet so soon after they occur, meteorologists say that a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture and allow severe storms to dump even more rain.

Additionally, officials have come under scrutiny about why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner than 4 a.m. or told to evacuate.

Rice said Monday that he did not immediately know if there had been any communication between law enforcement and the summer camps between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday. But Rice said various factors, including spotty cell service in some of the more isolated areas of Kerr County and cell towers that might have gone out of service during the weather, could have hindered communication.

Rice said officials want to finish the search and rescue and then review possible issues with cell towers, radios and emergency alerts.

Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor.

Kerr county officials said they had presented a proposal for a more robust flood warning system, similar to a tornado warning system, but that members of the public reeled at the cost.

Monumental clearing and rebuilding effort

The flash floods have erased campgrounds and torn homes from their foundations.

"It’s going to be a long time before we’re ever able to clean it up, much less rebuild it," Kelly said Saturday after surveying the destruction from a helicopter.

Other massive flooding events have driven residents and business owners to give up, including in areas struck last year by Hurricane Helene.

President Donald Trump said he would likely visit the flood zone on Friday.

AP photographers have captured the scale of the destruction, and one of Texas' largest rescue and recovery efforts.