Most accurate: a glimpse of the most classified team in the unit that knows every window in Gaza

They escort undercover detainees, know how to describe the details of rooms in the reserved buildings in the Middle East, and recommend an armament to prevent civilian casualties. In an exclusive interview to Walla! NEWS The Special Forces Unit 9900 was exposed to help eliminate Abu al-'Ata. "Intelligence layers into one image"

Most accurate: a glimpse of the most classified team in the unit that knows every window in Gaza

Suddenly, the Rose Mountain device, the encrypted telephone, of a Deputy A. commander, a special staff member classified as highly classified in the IDF's 9900 unit, was clear. From the first second, it was clear that this was an unusual event because the time was not reasonable. By codes, Deputy G secretly understood that the decision was made to execute the targeted counterterrorism program of senior Islamic Jihad Baha Abu Al-Ata and rushed to the unit.

A. knew him well. It has been a long time that Al Atta was on the intelligence community's point of view. One figure that attracted so much attention from Israel and even Hamas and violated the process of regulation through terrorist attacks. Mostly by rocket launches at 9pm on Fridays but not only. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also experienced the landmark of the senior wanted man and had to move to a protected area in Ashdod that Al-Atta made sure to launch rockets in perfect timing for his speech to Likud activists.

Intelligence information piled up in the UN and the GSS revealed Islamic Jihad's intentions to carry out further attacks. The decision to kill the terrorist was made much earlier and accepted new due to circumstances created that day. The General Security Service pointed to a complex three-story building on Al-Halilil Street, in the heart of the Sajaya neighborhood of Gaza City. This is a neighborhood where al-'Ata was born and is probably defined as a stronghold for him and so he felt so comfortable. The Israeli sword was placed on his neck, but he felt safe enough to sleep in the building.

Precision, flexibility and a single iron dome: This is how Israel managed to eliminate the senior jihad

More in Walla! NEWS

Find out the weakness of the building - and from it. Baha Abu al-Ata (Photo: IDF Spokesman)

Commander of the Northern Gaza Strip of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Baha Abu al-Atta (Photo: IDF Spokesman)

On the ground floor, commercial stores and on the upper two floors are five residential apartments. The task of the special team was to understand where Abu al-'Ata is hiding. To analyze in depth and breadth the structure based on intelligence and knowledge accumulated in the unit over decades to indicate the apartment and within it the exact location in which it was sought. Next, the team will have to analyze the structure from an engineering standpoint to allow the Air Force to choose the right armament for the assault. The purpose of the IDF is to damage the area, to isolate it from the environment and to minimize environmental damage to the extent possible. At random, doubtfully, Abu al-'Ata's house is located in front of a Palestinian elementary school and between them separates a road and tens of meters from an Islamic Jihad mosque. .

So close you can hear the muezzin prayers and believers without the means of amplification. In the professional definition of the targeted counterterrorism process, the structures are defined as sensitive and require maximum accuracy to repeatedly be careful not to damage the involvement of terrorism and to minimize damage to other structures.

"They are identifying the weakness of the structure. Where is it best to attack it and how powerful it is. But not only," said a former senior military officer, adding simply the essence of the special team. "They will also lead the unit's undercover photography and detailed explanation. Cherry to the building where the wanted one is hiding. Choose the doorway or window from which to enter. Point to the exact room in which he is hiding and explain its meanings. When they say: 'The terrorist is quickly removed from his bed'? So they're involved in that, too. Now imagine what else they are capable of and what clandestine activity they are involved across the Middle East. They maximize the word efficiency. Peel structures to the ground. The boundaries of the potential of engineering and geographic intelligence are constantly breaking. Includes events that the whole world has talked about in recent years but no one knows about their involvement, including the attack on Syria's nuclear reactor. It's not just special people. "

The building chart where Abu al-'Ata was staying during the liquidation

Baha Abu al-Ata apartment (Photo: IDF Spokesman)

An officer who served in the commando division said that under special detention operations that are very violent to be sent undercover cherry unit, a conversation between the intelligence officer of the unit and the special team in 9900 that deeply analyzes the structure, the environment and allows an intelligence auxiliary that saves valuable time They transmit amazing data and streamline operations, where to enter and what to watch out for, where it is sought within the intricate structure.There have been a few instances in the past that a lack of understanding in the engineering field has caused damage to soldiers, collapse of buildings, or parts of the structure on the force. You also learn about it That's the difference between a smooth entrance to a very violent space and a noisy entrance and exit. It's an opportunity to say thank you very much. "

Special Staff Commander (name of staff is kept in the system) Lieutenant A. (23) was born in Herzliya, increasing computer, physics and history. His father is a high-tech executive and his mother is a lawyer. He started the pilots for a pilot course but dropped out on the way. He struggled between warfare positions where most of his intelligence servants and finally decided to settle in the 9900 unit that largely decodes the visual field but deals with precise mapping and satellite operation, among other things. He went through the brilliant youth training program of the AMN, which included, among other things, 03 novices, an intelligence course for nine months and then special training for the special team. "I didn't know anything before I joined the team," explained Lieutenant A. "Only he has a unique and very important task . All soldiers in the team are located in advance. A technology-oriented team with an open mind. "

18 years old and 80 years old on the same team

Staff missions are so sensitive that Lieutenant A. is well acquainted with Maj. Gen. Tamir Hyman and does not always bother updating the unit commander on every call and meeting due to frequency. Each year, there is a single recruitment to the team that in recent years has increased due to the increasing use of advanced technologies and this is the first year in circulation. Recruitment that includes women. ”We control at a high level all the architecture and construction features to explore in depth the details we need. Anyone on the team knows he'll be jumping in the middle of the night for any mission. 24/7. In some cases this is immediate action and in some cases it requires thorough research over time. "

The team's activities support special arrests throughout Judea and Samaria, targeted assassinations, special operations such as the Second Lebanon War, and military operations (the interwar war) throughout the Middle East. "The team is a small family," added Lieutenant A. "There are regular soldiers but there are We also have reservists. The youngest of them is 50. The oldest is 80. They educated me. But there is a hierarchy. I am the team commander. how does it happen? Unity of mission. Everyone without exception always wants to come. These are people who have a civilian role in architecture and construction engineering. Each is defined as an expert in its field. "

"Everyone without exception always wants to come." Capt. A., the commander of the team

Commander of Capt. A. (Photo: IDF Spokesman)

The challenge for the team is to obtain intelligence information with photographs from various entities such as observations, satellites, skiers, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, share social networks and news information and other sensitive factors and analyze information about factories, high-rise hotels, hotels, complex engineering complexes Melting of a building standard if the same area exists, the nature and methods of construction, cultural influences on the structure and differences between area and area. They will analyze the structure in depth, emphasizing every wall, pillar, window, building materials, division of the building and construction method. "Not everyone adheres to a building standard," said Lieutenant G, laughing. "The team has experts who have known the engineering development and methods of the buildings, for example, in Gaza for decades. They know everything."

Technology has changed the rules of the game in gathering intelligence and deciphering photographs of the enemy who makes tremendous efforts to disappear or at least hide his actions. Even if you find it, it will try to blur the action and move quickly to the next target. Constant war of mind. It is no longer an image that needs to be looked at in depth and the hidden information site but layers of information that can be attached to a single image. Another angle of another image, information from the networks or news, fusion of intelligence from other entities and more. The product can be very high-resolution 3D, hence the precision of the preparation for the operation. Terrorism, unlike a regular army, operates in a civilian area that is defined as sensitive in the first place and the environment supports terrorism it helps it hide.

"When I got the message, there was no question at all"

"In this case, we need to connect the (wanted AB) people to where they live. Then understand their location within the building. And within that location, choose the window or wall. We want to hit the right person at the right time. , Explained a senior officer in Unit 9900, adding, "We came into the picture when they already knew where the building where Abu Al-Ata was staying. From that moment, continuous pick-up on the building begins."

The purpose of the collection factors is to understand not only the location but who the family members are where and when and therefore there is a close relationship with the Shin Bet. A factor from the 9900 unit can sometimes be operated on an airplane to be precise in the intelligence gathering work.

"When I received the announcement of the decision about Abu Al-Ata, I jumped out of the team's architect late at night. He doesn't ask questions. He realizes they are bouncing him out of the house. It's a serious task," said team commander Lt. G. Go to the archives to see the full picture of the building, for example, photographing Gaza for decades, what was before, understanding what our son and what it looks like now, building the full story, analyzing every detail, from pipe to bulge in the wall. Not only for the purpose of harming the target but to prevent harm to human life, those not involved in terrorism, so we need to know where the children will be at Assault. It's a responsibility, "said Capt. A.

Trying to build the full story. Abu al-'Ata's apartment

Baha Abu al-Ata apartment (Photo: IDF Spokesman)

"The complex has three floors. The commercial floor but above it is five apartments. You have to choose the right apartment. Characterize it. After you paint the apartment you have to break it into parts as much as possible. Here there is a concrete wall, here blocks. Where is the kitchen, toilet, arrangement The rooms. Here I do not know ... It also happens. Where is the staircase. I have to point out the rooms to the target bedroom. Then I sit down with performance research representatives and decide on the type of weapons. " At the end of the discussion in question, the pilot is sent to the exact landmark to which he is to launch the missile and the actual attack process is getting out of the way. "When it is going to happen? Excited. Obviously, there is vigilance," Lieutenant A. said.

The targeted counterterrorism purpose to eliminate the senior wanted by 100%. But even before embarking on a black belt operation, it was clear to all involved that in order to leave Hamas sitting on the fence and not involved in the operation in a way that would require it to respond, no involvement in the involvement or extensive environmental damage should be avoided. So the sensitivity to accuracy was huge. Meaning of non-compliance is a significant response from a military arm in Hamas by launching rockets at Israel. An event that everyone knows how to start but not necessarily how it can end. Point response? Or escalation to the point of campaign.

Damage to IDF attack in Gaza as part of the round after the liquidation of Abu Al-Ata

Damage to IDF attack in Gaza November 14, 2019 (Photo: Reuters)

About the sensitivity, Lieutenant G said, "We live in the intelligence situation. A few hours before the thwarting we are closed on the location. Exactly. On where he sleeps. We also always challenge ourselves with the obvious. Avoid mistakes. There will be no doubt. I am completely relaxed, confident in our abilities to determine the position. I, as the team commander, see everything in life, in the second of the hit. There is pressure in those moments but then the relief comes. It was clear very quickly that he was killed. But it was reported very quickly that it was him. I know that without us it wouldn't have happened. I was told that. It was the biggest compliment I received. It's a very complex job. Whole layers of intelligence at one point. "

Minutes after the security establishment was happy about the elimination of Al-Ata, a larger task of the special team began. Precision of the air and land forces in an assault mission as part of the operation. "The whole system is waiting for it. Only to thwart and then see what will happen. What is the result and what is the damage. It is clear to everyone who is going to an escalation. It is unclear where will Hamas react or not?" A black belt operation was defined as a turning point for the various intelligence agencies. Now just imagine what photographs the Special Team soldiers are investigating. Personally, you move uncomfortably in the chair when you place a 3D image of the house in which you live and indicate the location of the rooms.