Two Israeli hostages in Gaza were rescued during a raid in the city of Rafah on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Monday.
IDF troops on the ground rescued the two hostages during a nighttime raid on Sunday that involved firefights with Hamas operatives and airstrikes across the region, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a statement on Monday. Israel continues its months-long war against Hamas in Gaza in an effort to eradicate the terrorist group and rescue the over 130 hostages remaining in the region. (RELATED: Hamas Tunnel Network Discovered Under UN Agency In Gaza That Fired Staffers Over Alleged Terror Links, IDF Says)
The two hostages freed were Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Marman, two Israeli-Argentinian citizens, according to Reuters.
“This rescue mission underscores the importance of our ground operation in Gaza. We have a moral obligation to bring all our hostages home, an obligation that we will continue doing everything in our power to fulfill.”
Watch the full statement by IDF Spokesperson RAdl. Daniel… pic.twitter.com/M29G46pJw1
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 12, 2024
“Last night, we brought Louis and Fernando home,” Hagari said during a press briefing on Monday. “This was a complex rescue operation under fire in the heart of Rafah, based on highly sensitive and valuable intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate and the Israel Security Agency.”
The IDF breached the building in Rafah where Marman and Har were being held by Hamas and immediately engaged in a firefight with the terrorist operatives, Hagari said. IDF soldiers protected Marman and Har from the firefight and quickly moved them out of the building, airlifting them out of the region and providing them with medical care at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel.
“Alongside the excitement, even this morning after the successful rescue operation, we do not forget for a moment that in Gaza, 134 hostages are still being held,” Hagari said. “I want to address you this morning: if you are listening to me, know that we are determined to bring you back home.”
Israel has carried out a sweeping counteroffensive against Hamas in retaliation for the terrorist attacks against the nation on Oct. 7, killing over 1,200 civilians and kidnapping hundreds of others. The Israeli government has been at odds with the Biden administration over the scope and duration of the war.
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