An extensive article in The Jewish Chronicle provides extensive details of the intelligence operation carried out prior to the actual rescue of the 4 hostages.
According to the report, the Mist'aravim - elite units of Israeli soldiers who operate in the West Bank and Gaza while disguised as local Arabs - stayed in Gaza for a whole month after having received precise information.
They presented themselves as refugees from Rafah, who fled "due to deadly shelling by the Israeli army" - and decided to rent a house in the refugee camp. The undercovers found the building where Noa Argamani was kept. They offered one of the locals a large amount of cash - paying three times the rent.
After 19 days, it was discovered that they were held in two separate buildings in the same area, with Noa Argamani being held on the first floor of one of the buildings, and three other hostages in another building - on the third floor.
The Mist'aravim lived for a few days in the house they rented, and even shopped at the local market. When they realized that they did not arouse suspicion among the Gazans, the task of verifying the location of the abductees began.
