Book Review: A Rare Look Inside Gaza’s Shadow War
Former IDF undercover operative Tomer Tzaban recounts the secret missions, close calls and hidden realities of the Samson Unit’s operations inside Gaza during the First Intifada
The book's cover. Cover designer: Studio Kerman
Originally published in Hebrew in 2022 and now available in English, The Ghosts of Rafah: An Undercover Counter-Terrorism Agent in the Heart of the Middle East Conflict offers a rare firsthand account of one of the Israel Defense Forces’ most secretive units.
Written by former undercover operative Tomer Tzaban, the memoir recounts his service in the Samson Unit, a specialized "mista’arvim" force that operated deep inside the Gaza Strip during the First Intifada in the early 1990s. Disguised as local Arabs, members of the unit infiltrated militant networks, gathered intelligence, carried out arrests, and conducted covert missions in some of Gaza’s most dangerous urban environments.
The book opens with a tense encounter that captures the constant danger of undercover operations. Trapped in a mosque courtyard as worshippers surround his vehicle, the young Tzaban faces a split-second decision that could determine whether the situation ends peacefully or erupts into deadly violence. Such episodes set the tone for a fast-paced narrative filled with close calls, high-risk missions, and the psychological strain of living behind enemy lines.
Rather than offering a broad political analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Tzaban focuses on the operational realities of undercover warfare. Readers gain insight into the challenges of maintaining false identities, navigating hostile territory, and making life-or-death decisions under extreme pressure.
The memoir delivers an intense portrayal of covert operations, with the added weight of being based on real experiences. While its perspective is necessarily personal and limited in scope, The Ghosts of Rafah provides a compelling and seldom-seen view of the shadow war fought beyond the public eye.
The Ghosts of Rafah: An Undercover Counter-Terrorism Agent in the Heart of the Middle East Conflict
By Tomer Tzaban
Originally published in Hebrew in 2022 by Kinnert Zmora Dvir, unde the title Amok Be'Aza (Deep in Gaza)
Published in English in 2026