Last week, our editorial team covered the Be'eri tragedy, where terrorists held 15 hostages on October 7. Unfortunately, only two women survived. Both the police and the IDF have not officially commented on this case, leaving the cause of death for 13 individuals, including two children, unknown.
At the same time, another hostage situation occurred in Ofakim. Terrorists held spouses Rachel and David Edri captive for 22 hours until the YAMAM unit eliminated the militants, successfully freeing the couple. There's more information available about this incident, which ended relatively well. Rachel Edri became a symbol of Israeli heroism during the October 7 attack in the early weeks of the war.
NEWSru.co.il's correspondent interviewed Arkadiy Shuster, Chief of the Negev Police Operational Headquarters, who commanded the operation and negotiated with the terrorists for nearly 22 hours to free Rachel and David Edri.
Interview conducted by Alla Gavrilova.
"Arkadiy, do you specialize in negotiation within the police force?"
Not entirely. I am trained in negotiation, but in an ideal situation, other individuals specializing specifically in this field would handle it.
How did October 7 begin for you?
It started calmly. It was my day off, and I intended to spend it at home. However, around 6:30 in the morning, I was awakened by a call from one of the officers responsible for maintaining order at the 'Nova' festival. He said that a rocket attack had started and asked for instructions.
At that moment, we knew nothing about the invasion. I ordered him to evacuate people from the festival as quickly as possible, and I didn't go back to sleep because I needed to issue instructions to all the police stations in the Negev. After a while, I received reports about terrorists in Ofakim. I went to my previous unit, the Negev YAMAM, grabbed a rifle, and headed to Ofakim.
Why specifically Ofakim?
Because reports about the situation in Ofakim came in earlier than in other cities. I went there knowing that there were terrorists and fighting taking place, but I didn't have a clear idea of the scale of what was happening. Upon entering the city, I heard intense gunfire, which surprised me greatly. I was certain it was about one or two terrorists
Hearing a hail of gunfire, I abandoned the car and began moving cautiously in short dashes. Soon, I encountered men from the YAMAM and other units engaged in combat with terrorists who had taken over a private two-story house. I joined them and, being the highest-ranking officer present, took command of the battle.
Did you know that hostages were held in the house?
At that moment, we knew nothing and started storming the building. We were the third wave attempting to breach the house. The first two attempts failed. Five officers died; I saw their bodies on the ground. We tried to break into the house, exchanging gunfire. Several grenades were thrown from the house, and it continued until we managed to break through a window onto the first floor of the house.
While gunfire was coming from the house, there was a suggestion to throw an explosive grenade through the window. However, due to the suspicion that civilians might be inside, we decided against it.
When we entered the house, we first heard voices in Arabic, and then a voice in Hebrew: "Be careful, there are terrorists here." It became evident that hostages were inside the house. In professional jargon, this situation is termed as "צבא שמים" or "Heaven's Army." It's a scenario where terrorists have taken hostages, and there's a possibility of their release through negotiations, assault, or a combination of both.
What are the instructions in such a situation?
If the hostages are not being harmed, according to the instructions, we should take defensive positions around the house, cutting off access for additional terrorists and onlookers. However, we're facing difficulties as there's another shootout with a different group of terrorists on the same street.
If the terrorists attempt to harm the hostages, the instruction is to storm the house with the available forces. However, if they aren’t attempting harm, as I mentioned earlier, we must take a defensive position and wait for the YAMAM, which specializes in hostage rescue.
What actions did you take?
I saw that our chances for a successful assault with our forces were slim. And when I saw the first terrorist, I became completely convinced of this. He descended towards us using the internal staircase, holding a grenade in his hand and a drawn pin. He held a hostage in front of him. If we had attempted to shoot, he would have dropped the grenade, and the hostage would have been killed.
Was that Rachel?
Yes, that same Rachel. I suspected that there might be other hostages and terrorists on the second floor. So, if we opened fire, she would perish, and the rest of the hostages would be shot.
How many of you were there?
Five, including an interpreter.
Did you start negotiating?
Yes. In the first few minutes, we didn't have an interpreter, so I spoke to the terrorist in Hebrew and gestures. My goal at that moment was to calm the terrorists and show that we wanted to negotiate. After some time, at my request, an officer proficient in Arabic was summoned, and things progressed faster.
What were their demands, and what were you trying to achieve?
The negotiations lasted a total of 22 hours. My main task was to instill in the terrorists that they held complete responsibility for the hostages, and as long as the hostages remained safe and negotiations continued, there would be no threat to the terrorists.
Of course, we demanded the release of the hostages. They asked for medications, food, water. Rachel told us she needed something sweet to eat and her medication, so I suggested to the terrorists to bring food for them, but on the condition that they also feed the hostages.
How did you manage to convince them of this?
I emphasized that it was in their interest for Rachel not to lose consciousness and for nothing to happen to her.
What demands did they make?
They demanded passage to Gaza along with the hostages. Naturally, we couldn’t allow that
How many terrorists were there?
Five. A highly coordinated cell, well-equipped, very disciplined, with clear division of duties. They operated like a proficient military unit.
We didn't find this out immediately, but information about the hostages and the house was gathered very quickly.
How did the delivery of supplies, medications, and water to the terrorists go?
Every such moment was a whole operation. To pass a bottle of water, you have to enter a room where the terrorists have us and the hostages in their sights. I mentioned the grenade. We had to discuss how I would enter the room and where to place the bottle of water. Yes, it's a huge risk, and there are no guarantees, but it's necessary to build mutual trust and advance the negotiations.
Until the last moment, we didn't lose hope that through negotiations, we could get the terrorists to surrender and free the hostages. That would have been the most ideal outcome of the operation. But that didn't happen.
How do negotiations proceed after you fulfill the terrorists' demands for food and water?
Then the tactical negotiations continue. We aim to improve the hostages' living conditions. We convince the terrorists to remove the handcuffs from Rachel and David, as they're elderly and unwell, unable to cause harm, while the cuffs could hinder their circulation.
Do you have an idea where the hostages and terrorists are?
Yes. Rachel was on the first floor with one of them. Another sat on the stairs, aiming a gun at us. Three were upstairs with David. Eventually, we manage to get the terrorists to allow Rachel to go upstairs to lie down and rest.
Why is that so crucial?
For several reasons. I considered the terrorist with the grenade, lacking the pin, as the primary threat. If force were used, the grenade could explode. It was vital to keep Rachel away from him. Additionally, we needed the hostages all in one place. Ideally, lying down would increase their chances of survival during an assault, much higher than if they were sitting or standing.
So, you were preparing for an assault at that moment?
Yes.
How is the decision made to storm the building with hostages?
Firstly, a decision of such magnitude is not made by me; it's the district commander who decides, having set up the command post a few dozen meters away from the house.
Generally, the decision to storm is made when it's believed that the negotiator can no longer achieve success. Also, a tactical unit must be ready for the assault. Additionally, the district commander takes into account other combat areas.
Several hours before the order to storm was given, I reported to the district commander that we had reached the maximum in negotiations, and I didn't see any chances of freeing the hostages by that means.
The house was stormed by the YAMAM unit. It's a police special forces unit specializing in hostage rescue. I must say, even for this special unit, such cases hadn't occurred for several decades, so it was a kind of baptism of fire for them.
How did the assault happen?
During the assault, besides pyrotechnics, dogs are often used. In this particular assault, one dog and three fighters were wounded. One of them quite severely because, at the very first moment of the assault, the grenade held by the terrorist exploded.
What role do dogs play during the assault?
A dog moves much faster than a person. When it's leaping, it's much harder to hit. Additionally, in places where we prefer not to risk human lives, we prefer to send in a dog first.Several service dogs died that day.
During the storming, were the hostages where you expected them to be?
Yes. Rachel and David, along with three more terrorists, were on the second floor. All five terrorists were neutralized on the spot. The hostages were unharmed. The only scratch Rachel had was from the dog's claws.
How confident were you in the success of the operation?
Storming is always a risk. There are no guarantees it won't end in tragedy, but it's a necessary risk.
The operation went well, in part because, at some point, a negotiation unit joined us, which greatly helped. The command made the right decisions, and the YAMAM acted heroically and precisely.
Overall, recalling all the events of October 7th, it's astonishing that numerous officers grabbed their weapons without any orders from above, exited the building, and went to fight the terrorists, even those who weren't trained for it. But everyone did their utmost. I believe, in this way, we managed to prevent an even greater tragedy.
