A helicopter ferrying Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Hare, Israeli hostages freed in a special forces operation, according to the Israeli military, arrives at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv district, Israel, February 12, 2024. Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS
In the early hours of Monday, Israel executed a specialized military operation, orchestrated jointly by the Israel Defence Force (IDF), Shin Bet security service, and the Special Police Unit in Rafah. The mission successfully liberated Israeli hostages Fernando Simon Marman, aged 60, and Louis Hare, aged 70, who were abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7.
Israeli military spokesman Lt Col. Richard Hecht characterized the operation as intricate, emphasizing extensive prior planning and the wait for favorable conditions. The hostages were reportedly confined to the second floor of a building, which was breached using an explosive charge during the raid. Intense gunfire exchanges transpired with adjacent structures.
Following the operation, both hostages were safely transported to Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest hospital, where Prof Arnon Afek, the director, confirmed their stable condition after initial examinations.
Simultaneously, air strikes targeted Rafah, causing casualties and widespread panic among the residents. The strikes, involving Israeli planes, tanks, and ships, resulted in the destruction of two mosques and several houses. Some residents, awakened by the strikes, expressed fear of an impending Israeli ground offensive.
Hamas, in response, characterized the attack on Rafah as part of an ongoing “genocidal war” and accused Israel of attempting forced displacement against the Palestinian population. U.S. President Joe Biden, in a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, cautioned against a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan ensuring the safety of approximately 1 million inhabitants.
Aid agencies expressed concern over the catastrophic consequences of an assault on Rafah, considered the last relatively safe area in a region profoundly affected by Israel’s military actions. Netanyahu’s office disclosed plans to evacuate Rafah and dismantle four alleged Hamas battalions stationed there.
The overall context involves escalating tensions, with Hamas militants accused of killing 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducting at least 250 during their October 7 incursion. Israel’s subsequent military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as per Hamas-run health ministry figures, has resulted in the deaths of more than 28,000 Palestinians.
Netanyahu, in an interview, defended Israel’s actions, asserting that a sufficient number of the 132 remaining hostages in Gaza were alive to justify the ongoing conflict. A senior Hamas leader warned that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would jeopardize hostage-exchange negotiations.
Egypt, concerned about the potential dire consequences, issued a warning against an Israeli military assault on Rafah, urging international and regional collaboration to prevent harm to the Palestinian city.
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