Hostage rescue doesn’t change tough strategic equation

It still looks like Israel's choice is between leaving Hamas in Gaza or sacrificing most of the hostages to continue the war

Videos of megaphone-wielding lifeguards announcing the news that four hostages had been rescued, sparking the exultant cheers of beachgoers, summed up an “only in Israel” moment on a scorching summer day.

The exuberance — of a kind Israelis have not felt in a long time — was soon tempered by the announcement that a commander of the elite Yamam force who helped lead the rescue was killed in the operation. And, of course, the operation appears to have caused considerable deaths in the Nuseirat camp surrounding — though how many were Hamas combatants we cannot know.

Another solemn factor amid the celebrations: The quartet rescued on Saturday — Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv — brought the number of hostages extracted by the military to seven. In comparison, more than 100 were released early on in the war via negotiated deals. With some 120 hostages remaining, dozens of whom are presumed dead, negotiation remains the more likely way to achieve their freedom.

Yes, the tactical success of the operation — a raid on the Nuseirat area of central Gaza, which was reportedly planned for many weeks — underscored that Israeli intelligence and special forces can still get the job done, despite the epic breakdowns of Oct. 7.

But that success does not change Israel’s fundamental strategic dilemma: It still looks like Israel's choice is between leaving Hamas in Gaza or sacrificing most of the hostages to continue the war.