Israel announces that two hostages have been rescued from Gaza in a special operation, marking 128 days since their capture.
The Israeli military announced on Monday that it successfully rescued two hostages in a special overnight operation in Rafah, located in southern Gaza, which had been subjected to continuous Israeli airstrikes throughout the night.
The hostages, identified as 60-year-old Fernando Simon Marman and 70-year-old Louis Har, were abducted 128 days earlier during Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th. Both individuals hold dual Israeli-Argentine citizenship, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the hostages were in good medical condition and have been transferred to Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer. The operation was conducted jointly with the Israeli Security Agency and Israel Police, the IDF added.
According to IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, the “covert operation with extraction under fire” commenced at 1:49 a.m. local time and involved aerial strikes.
Israeli forces encountered resistance during the operation, with the hostages being escorted out amidst fire from Hamas. Following their rescue, they were taken to a safe location within Rafah for medical treatment before being airlifted out of Gaza by helicopter.