Israel rescues two hostages from Rafah in operation

The two hostages, Fernando Simon Merman, 60, and Luis Har, 70, each twin Israeli-Argentinian residents, had been kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on Oct. 7. They had been taken captive with three feminine relations who had been launched throughout a week-long cease-fire in late November.

Israel’s navy mentioned Merman and Har had been each in “good medical situation” and had been transported by way of navy helicopters for additional medical examination in Israel.

“I salute our courageous warriors for the daring motion that led to their liberation. Solely the continuation of navy strain, till full victory, will end result within the launch of all our abductees. We is not going to miss any alternative to carry them house,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned in a press release Monday.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli navy spokesman, mentioned the rescue operation, primarily based on intensive navy intelligence, started at 1:49 a.m., when particular forces broke right into a second-floor condominium in Rafah.

Armed Hamas combatants had been guarding the lads and had been additionally unfold all through different flats within the constructing, he mentioned. A minute later, Israel carried out airstrikes. Israeli troopers shielded the hostages with their our bodies as exchanges of heavy hearth erupted in a number of locations between the troops and Hamas fighters.

The occasion was solely the second profitable rescue mission for the reason that begin of the bottom incursion into Gaza in late October — on Oct. 30, the IDF rescued a feminine hostage — and greater than 100 hostages stay in Hamas captivity.

Netanyahu and Protection Minster Yoav Gallant accompanied Israel’s navy chief because the raid unfolded in a single day.

Not less than 50 Palestinians had been killed within the Israeli operation, in accordance with native media reviews.

Argentine President Javier Milei lauded the rescue operation Monday morning and mentioned in a social media publish that in a gathering with Netanyahu final week in Jerusalem, he requested “the discharge of each one of many Argentine hostages” and continued to “preserve his condemnation of Hamas terrorism.”

The operation got here hours after Netanyahu spoke on the cellphone with President Biden, who warned that an Israeli floor incursion into southern Gaza with out applicable lodging for the civilian inhabitants could be seen as unacceptable to the USA, in accordance with a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the situation of anonymity beneath guidelines set by the White Home.

Karen DeYoung contributed to this report.