World
An inside look at Israel's special forces rescue unit fighting terrorists, rescuing hostages: 'Full on Fauda'
When commandos from Israel’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism force launched a daring daytime raid on two homes deep within central Gaza and successfully rescued four hostages who had forcefully been taken across the border on October 7, it was the first time many people would learn of the unit’s existence.
For years, the operations of Yamam have been shrouded in secrecy. Often, credit for its missions was given to other units. “Up until a few years ago, not many people knew about Yamam’s activities,” a unit source told Fox News Digital. But in the age of smartphones and social media, videos of their operations have spread online. “Today, with social media broadcasting operations in real-time, we understand that the rules of the game have changed,” the source says.
Yamam — Yeḥida Merkazit Meyuḥedet, in Hebrew, or Special Central Unit — was founded in 1974 as a special unit of Israel’s Border Police, with the primary mission to take control of and resolve hostage situations. In this regard, it is similar to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, but because it also is capable of rapid offensive raids, such as the hostage rescue executed in Gaza in June, it is closely aligned with such elite American units as Delta Force and Navy SEALs, with whom they are also said to train and cooperate.
ISRAEL RESCUES HOSTAGE AFTER 325 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY
Yamam counter-terrorism unit in action somewhere in Israel. (Israel Police Spokesman’s Unit)
“Yamam is like an aircraft carrier with a wide range of in-house capabilities,” said Zohar Dvir, a retired unit commander, told Fox News Digital. The unit includes specialists like snipers, bomb disposal experts, canine handlers, medics and undercover agents known as “mista’aravim.” “It’s full on ‘Fauda,” Dvir added.
“Yamam equips its personnel with cutting-edge technology,” David Tzur, a retired commander from the group, told Fox News Digital. “The unit serves as a testing ground for innovations, collaborating with civilian and defense industries to refine and replicate technologies for broader use.”
“What sets Yamam apart is their ability to carry out thousands of high-risk operations with exceptional precision,” Dvir explained.
“Yamam is considered one of the most experienced — if not the most experienced — counter-terrorism units globally,” a unit commander speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Fox News Digital. “Because of the realities we face daily, countering terrorist threats in the West Bank, Yamam fighters participate in hundreds of operations each year. After Oct. 7, we joined the fight in Gaza.”
A Race Against Time
Yamam members played a critical role in the recent rescue of four hostages held by Hamas terrorists. (Israel Police Spokesman’s Unit)
As part of a condition of talking to Fox News Digital all current Yamam members withheld their full names due to security considerations.
Intelligence pinpointing the location of the hostages in the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp had been gathered weeks earlier by Shin Bet, Israel’s internal intelligence service, with the help of American and British drones. “We knew about the situation weeks before,” explains Captain A., a team leader told Fox News Digital. “We received the mission, studied the target, and began our preparations.”
On a Saturday morning, the operatives arrived in civilian trucks at the target locations, which were just a few hundred meters apart. Storming the two locations, they rescued the four hostages. At the first site, Noa Argamani, whose terrified image was seen worldwide as she was shown being taken away on a motorcycle by terrorists from Israel on the morning of October 7, was found. At the second location, they rescued Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov and Almog Meir.
There was resistance, but “everything went according to plan,” said Deputy Superintendent A, a key figure in the operation.
Yamam counter-terrorism unit snipers watching out for enemy forces. (Israel Police Spokesman’s Unit)
The team faced a particularly challenging situation at Argamani’s location, where they feared one of the terrorists was close to her. “The goal was to get as close to her as quickly as possible, and that’s what we did. We only realized she was alive when A. and D.” — two operatives on the team — “shouted, ‘We have a diamond! We have a diamond!’ Once we confirmed she was with us, our priority was to get her out safely,” Sgt. Major Y. recounts.
Operatives shielded Argamani with their bodies as they moved her to safety under heavy fire. “She was barefoot, so D. carried her on his back. She was terrified and couldn’t believe what was happening, even when we told her, ‘We’re here to take you home,’” A. told Fox News Digital.
Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora was killed during the raid. (IDF)
While Argamani’s rescue went smoothly, the situation at the second apartment was far more complicated. As the team entered, they faced “very effective” fire. In the ensuing battle, the team’s commander, Arnon Zmora, was critically injured. “Everything happened very quickly. It was a matter of seconds,” recalls Captain A.
As with the rescue of Argamani, the team shielded the hostages with their body armor and helmets as they evacuated them under fire. “The area was like a hornets’ nest, packed with militants inside and outside,” A. says. “We quickly moved [the hostages] towards the military vehicles, all the while taking effective fire from within the apartment and its surrounding.”
Yamam troops conducting a weekend rescue operation in the Gaza Strip while under heavy fire. (IDF)
Though the hostages were rescued unharmed, the end of the mission was tragic for the members of the Yamam team. “We saved the hostages, but we lost one of our own,” one of the fighters told Fox Digital News, speaking of Arnon Zmora, a 36-year-old father of two young boys. “But this is both our privilege and our duty,” he said. “We’ll fight until the last soldier, no matter the cost.”
“While these operations are heroic, they create the illusion that military pressure alone will free the hostages,” said Tzur. “If there’s an operational window for a rescue, we should take it, but ultimately, we’ll need to make a tough and ugly deal. On October 7th, we were caught off guard, and now we’re forced to negotiate with the devil. Only a deal can bring the hostages back alive,” he said.
The Nuseirat raid was the third time Yamam was involved in the rescue of hostages kidnapped by Hamas, including that of Private Ori Megidish, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) lookout held captive in the Gaza Strip, and Fernando Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who were held in Rafah.
Yamam counter-terror unit troops somewhere in Israel. (Israel Police Spokesman’s Unit)
As one of Israel’s most elite forces — its operations are often authorized at the highest levels, including the Prime Minister’s Office — the unit’s fighters generally are older than conscripts in the IDF, and they have already experienced intense combat during their service in the IDF.
When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, YAMAM operatives were the first to respond to the unfolding crisis, fighting across 15 different locations that day, including a 27-hour-long battle against Hamas’s elite Nukba force at the police station in Sderot, an Israeli city adjacent to the northern border with Gaza. Nine Yamam fighters were killed in that fight.
Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 41, and Andrey Kozlov, 27, were rescued in two separate locations in a complex special daytime operation in the heart of Nuseirat in central Gaza. (IDF)
“They prevented the advance of Hamas’ elite forces northward, stopping them at Yad Mordechai and neutralizing many of them. The team, led by Arnon Zmora, halted their progress towards Ashdod, Ashkelon, and even as far as Tel Aviv,” said Dvir and added, “they eliminated more than 200 terrorists.”
“We fight for two reasons,” said G., a Yamam fighter who was in the Sderot battle. “One is the desire to destroy the enemy and to be the first to engage them. But much stronger than that,” he says, “is the desire to save lives.”
Over two-thirds of large companies struggle to fill their IT roles. What are the highest-paid jobs? Which countries are most in need?
As the IT sector continues to grow, thousands of European companies are having trouble filling the many positions available.
According to 2024 Eurostat data, 57.5% of EU businesses can’t recruit all the necessary ICT specialists.
The gap between labour demand and actual employment has grown by 20% in the past ten years.
Large businesses are facing the biggest challenges.
Sixty-eight per cent of them are unable to fill all their ICT specialist positions, followed by medium (59.2%) and small-sized enterprises (53.4%).
Germany, the Czech Republic, Malta, Austria, and Luxembourg are the countries most in need of ICT specialists, with at least 65% of businesses facing shortages.
The percentages are even higher for large enterprises: 84% in Malta, 80% in Germany, 79% in the Czech Republic, 78% in Slovenia, 76% in Austria, 75% in Luxembourg, 73% in Latvia, 72% in Hungary and 71% in Croatia.
Spain, Poland, and Bulgaria have the least hiring problems, although at least 30% of companies in these countries still face ICT shortages.
What are the highest-paid IT positions?
The main difficulties in recruitment, according to Eurostat, are a lack of applications, insufficient qualifications and experience, and high salary expectations.
Salaries in the ICT sector have consistently outpaced average wages in Europe in the last decade, according to the 2024 OECD Digital Economy Outlook. In the EU, in particular, annual wages grew by 0.24% compared to 0.20% in the rest of the economy.
Recruitment specialists Robert Walters have listed the top-paid ICT jobs in countries including Germany, which seems to be struggling the most in the EU to recruit specialists.
The highest-paid role is Chief Information Technology Officer, with an annual base of €150k for employees with at least three years of experience, to €180k for those with at least eight years.
The consultancy role in the highest bracket is the SAP/ERP one, with a base of €100k. (SAP ERP is an enterprise resource planning software.)
Data engineer and data scientist positions are both in the €100-120k bracket.
Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
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World
India steps up diplomatic relations with the Taliban as rival Pakistan loses influence in Afghanistan
India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, met acting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai last week, making a strong leap forward in bilateral relations.
While India has been gradually increasing its engagement with the Taliban, this latest meeting represents the highest-level talks since the Islamic group’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Notably, this was the second meeting between officials from New Delhi and Kabul in just two months, indicating both countries’ readiness to step up diplomatic engagement.
“We shouldn’t overstate the impact of Pakistan’s tensions with the Taliban on India’s stepped up engagement with the Taliban. New Delhi had already taken some small steps toward Taliban engagement soon after the Taliban’s return to power, before tensions crept into the Taliban’s relations with Pakistan,” Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, tells Fox News Digital.
TALIBAN GOVERNMENT TO CEASE OPERATIONS AT AFGHAN EMBASSY IN INDIA’S CAPITAL
Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, addresses the media at the Parliament House in New Delhi on Dec. 7, 2022. (Prakash Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
During the discussions, Misri emphasized the “historic friendship” and “strong people-to-people contacts” between the two nations. Meanwhile, the Afghan foreign minister described India as “an important and economically significant country in the region.”
According to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations, addressing security concerns, engaging in development projects and enhancing humanitarian assistance.
India is among several countries actively facilitating trade, aid and medical support to Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. The country, which hosts thousands of Afghan refugees, also pledged to provide “material support” for their rehabilitation back in Afghanistan.
“New Delhi’s outreach to the Taliban is driven by the view that closer engagement can help India better pursue its security and strategic interests in Afghanistan – and these include strengthening trade and connectivity links and ensuring India isn’t threatened by terrorists on Afghan soil,” Kugelman explained.
BIDEN ADMIN’S AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL FAILURES DETAILED IN REPORT
The discussions also touched on enhancing trade via the Chabahar Port in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province. India has been developing the Chabahar Port to enable goods to bypass ports in its rival, Pakistan. This strategic port, which lies just across the border from Pakistan, could provide landlocked Afghanistan with an alternative route to receive and send goods, circumventing Pakistan.
Afghan refugees living in Pakistan rally against India in Lahore, Pakistan, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
The meeting between India and the Taliban could unsettle Pakistan, which shares borders with both countries. India and Pakistan are long-standing rivals, having fought three wars over Kashmir since both countries gained independence in 1947. This meeting also takes place amid deteriorating relations between the Taliban regime and Pakistan, once considered friendly neighbors, as cross-border violence escalates.
PAKISTANI AIRSTRIKES TARGET TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN FOLLOWING SUICIDE BOMBING
The talks occurred just days after India “unequivocally” condemned Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan in late December. These rare airstrikes resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians, including women and children. Pakistani officials claimed the strikes targeted militants of the Pakistani Taliban. Islamabad frequently accuses the Pakistani Taliban of using Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies.
People gather at the border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Chaman, Pakistan, Aug. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Jafar Khan)
The diplomatic engagement also follows the Taliban’s appointment of an acting consul in the Afghan consulate in Bombay in November, the same month India’s joint secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs visited Kabul. Although no foreign government, including India, has officially recognized the Taliban administration since it swept to power in 2021, India reopened its embassy in Kabul less than a year after the Taliban’s return to power.
“Islamabad has already seen its relations with its former Taliban asset take a major tumble,” Kugelman, said. “Now it must grapple with the fact that its rival India may fill the vacuum left by Pakistan’s distancing from the Taliban. No matter how you slice it, this is bad news for Pakistan all around.”
BIDEN SAYS HE’S LEAVING TRUMP ‘STRONG HAND TO PLAY,’ DEFENDS HIS RECORD ON AFGHANISTAN
Several factors, in addition to deteriorating Pakistani relations, may have led India to strengthen its relationship with Afghanistan. The weakening of Iran, due to conflicts in the Middle East and internal issues, has diminished its influence over the Taliban. At the same time, Russia, one of India’s closest allies, is moving toward recognizing the Taliban government in Afghanistan, even calling the group a partner in combating terrorism. Moscow perceives a significant security threat from Islamist militant groups across countries from Afghanistan to the Middle East, especially after losing Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 17, 2021. (AP)
China is also enhancing its connections with the Taliban, causing India to be wary of Beijing’s increasing influence. Additionally, India’s approach may be influenced by President-elect Trump’s imminent return to the White House. The Trump administration initially brokered the U.S.-Afghanistan withdrawal deal. Trump’s re-election could now introduce new dynamics to the region, prompting India to safeguard its long-term interests.
In contrast, the United States has severed diplomatic ties with Kabul since its chaotic withdrawal from war-torn Afghanistan. Washington maintains a policy of sanctions and isolation toward Taliban leaders. But now, nations in the region are evaluating the implications of a new Trump administration for the Taliban.
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