The Israeli military conducted a rescue operation in Rafah, Gaza, successfully extracting two hostages believed to be held by the Hamas militant group.
Unfortunately, the operation resulted in airstrikes causing the death of at least 67 Palestinians, according to Palestinian hospital officials.
The hostages, identified as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, were kidnapped in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that triggered the Israel-Hamas war. They were held under guard in a second-floor apartment in Rafah.
Israeli Soldiers (Credits: The Times of Israel)
The rescue operation, executed by special forces under fire, involved shielding the hostages with the rescue team’s bodies during a heavy battle with Hamas gunmen.
Following the operation, the hostages received a quick medical check and were flown to a hospital in central Israel, reported to be in good condition. The Argentine President, Milei, expressed gratitude for Israel’s rescue efforts in a social media post.
The operation, based on precise intelligence and long-term planning, was conducted with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other top officials present. The rescued hostages are the second and third to be successfully extracted; a female soldier was rescued in November.
The situation underscores the complexities and challenges in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with both successful rescue operations and unfortunate civilian casualties resulting from the airstrikes.
