Israeli forces Authorities announced Monday morning that two Israelis held hostage in the Gaza city of Rafah had been successfully rescued.
In a joint late-night operation by the Israeli forces , the Israel Security Authority and the Israeli forces rescued Fernando Merman, 60, and Luis Haar, 70, and transferred them by helicopter to Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital inside Israel. The medical condition of both is said to be good.
Merman and Harr were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, the day Hamas kidnapped them from the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz. launched his attack Against Israel
The security forces said that they will continue to work for the return of the hostages.
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Israeli forces completed a successful rescue operation on Monday morning, freeing two Israeli forces hostages in Rafah, Gaza City. (IDF)
According to the IDF, troops from the IDF Navy SEALs, the Shin Bet Special Operations Unit and the Israeli Police’s Counter-Terrorism Unit arrived at a building in Rafah to conduct a rescue operation. The operation took place around 1 am local time.
An IDF spokesman told reporters at a briefing that the forces were able to sneak into the building and enter the second floor before blowing up the apartment door with explosives and taking two hostages and three militants. Killed the likes.
The IDF and Shin Bet had been working on the operation for several weeks based on intelligence, an IDF official told Axios. The Israeli Air Force launched heavy strikes in Rafah to allow the rescue.
In the Ministry of Health Hamas-ruled Gaza Al Jazeera reported that dozens of Palestinians were killed in the bombing.
According to Axios, Israeli officials notified the Biden administration after the operation was completed.
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Fernando Merman, 60, and Luis Haar, 70, were rescued from Rafah. (IDF)
As of Monday, 134 of the more than 240 hostages kidnapped on October 7 remain in Gaza. In November, more than 100 hostages were freed under a deal. This includes Har’s wife, who is also Merman’s sister, and Merman’s other sister and niece.
Qatar and Egypt are trying to broker a new hostage deal, but Israel and Hamas have yet to reach an agreement.
President Biden warned. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday against increasing ground operations in Gaza without an evacuation plan for Palestinian civilians.