Israeli special forces conducted an operation that resulted in the liberation of two hostages in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, alongside airstrikes in the early hours of Monday. Local health officials reported that the strikes led to the deaths of at least 48 Palestinians and injured dozens in the city. The Israeli army stated that the Israeli Defense Forces, the internal security service (Shin Bet), and a special police unit in Rafah carried out a joint operation that freed Fernando Simon Marman (60 years old) and Luis Har (70 years old). The army noted that Hamas had taken the two men from the Nirim settlement to the Gaza Strip on October 7.
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, spokesperson for the Israeli army, described the operation as "highly complex," indicating that they had been working for a long time to execute it and were waiting for the right conditions. Hecht added that the hostages were held on the second floor of the building, which the forces entered by detonating an explosive charge during a raid that involved intense gunfire from surrounding buildings.
Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli army for Arab media, confirmed earlier today that the liberation operation was very complex and difficult. He explained via his account on platform X that Hamas had held Luis Har and Fernando Marman in the sector since October 7. He continued that "Israeli forces reached the target secretly and executed the operation inside the building, where the hostages were kept on the second floor." He noted that the Israeli air force launched a heavy wave of strikes targeting positions of the "Shabura Brigade belonging to Hamas" to allow the Israeli forces to access the extraction area established to bring the hostages back to Israel.
Professor Arnon Afik, director of Sheba Medical Center, announced that the liberated hostages arrived that night at Sheba Medical Center, the largest hospital in Israel. He added that they were received in the hospital's emergency room, where the emergency staff conducted initial checks; both are in stable condition and receiving care.
The Israeli army reported that the airstrikes in Rafah coincided with the raid to allow its forces to exit. Residents contacted by Reuters via a messaging app said the airstrikes caused widespread panic in Rafah, as many people were asleep when the attacks began. Some fear Israel has begun its ground offensive in Rafah. Israeli aircraft, tanks, and ships participated in the assaults, targeting two mosques and several houses, according to residents. The Israeli army stated on Monday that it had conducted a "series of airstrikes" on southern Gaza, which "has now stopped."
Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for the health ministry in Gaza, reported to Reuters on Monday that the Israeli airstrikes in Rafah resulted in at least 48 Palestinian deaths and numerous injuries. The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) stated in a statement that the assault on Rafah is a continuation of "the genocide war" and attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people carried out by Israel.
The White House indicated that President Joe Biden informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that Israel should not proceed with a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the approximately one million people sheltering in the city. Relief organizations warn that any attack on Rafah, the southern part of the Gaza Strip, would be catastrophic. This area is the last relatively safe place in the strip, which has been devastated by the Israeli military operation. President Biden and Netanyahu spoke for nearly 45 minutes, following Biden's recent remarks that the Israeli military response in Gaza had "crossed a line," expressing serious concern over the rising civilian death toll in the Palestinian territory.
Netanyahu's office stated that he ordered the army to prepare a plan for evacuating Rafah and destroying four Hamas brigades he claims are stationed there. Al-Aqsa TV, affiliated with Hamas, reported yesterday that a senior Hamas leader warned that any Israeli ground attack in Rafah would "destroy" negotiations for prisoner exchanges. Egypt cautioned yesterday about the "grave consequences" of a potential Israeli military attack on Rafah near its border, and the Egyptian foreign ministry issued a statement calling for collective international and regional efforts to prevent an assault on the Palestinian city.
