Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently embarked on a dangerous operation to rescue two Israeli hostages held by Hamas, a terrorist organization, in Rafah — a city in the Gaza Strip.
The operation comes after President Joe Biden reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against continuing the Holy Land’s attacks on Rafah, where Hamas terrorists hold a stronghold.
"the abductees are in our hands"
"there's enemy fire shot at us"
"we are evacuating"IDF released footage from the hostages liberation operation in Rafah last night pic.twitter.com/SMaksCw8Rc
— Hamas Atrocities (@HamasAtrocities) February 12, 2024
In coordination with Israel’s intelligence agency, Shin Bet, the IDF rescued 61-year-old Fernando Marman and Louis Har, 71, who were kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The two Israeli men are currently in the hospital and are recovering, according to the Daily Wire.
“The operation was conducted for an hour and included a prolonged battle in the building and nearby buildings with Hamas militants, dozens of airstrikes and an escort by IDF tanks to the helicopter,” Ynet’s Yoav Zitun reported.
The Daily Wire noted that three terrorists who had been guarding the hostages were killed, while one IDF soldier was minimally injured.
“The forces stormed into the building using explosives, entered the building and pulled the two hostages out,” Israel National News indicated. “A gun battle developed at the scene, while the Air Force attacked in the area and fire was also opened from nearby buildings.”
The spokesman of the IDF, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said officers from Israel’s national counterterrorism unit, Yamam, “arrived in Rafah at around 1 a.m. and ‘carried out a very complex action on the premises and the second floor where the hostages were held,’” according to The Times of Israel.
“Reaching the target in the heart of Rafah was very complex,” Hagari said, adding that the forces responsible for conducting the operation “hugged and protected Louis and Fernando with their bodies.”
The IDF official continued by saying that the groups in the operation rescued Marman and Har from an apartment while being shot at by Hamas terrorists.
Hagari said such rescue efforts marked a “complex rescue operation” based on classified information.
“It was a very tense and touching night,” Hagari recalled before praising the efforts of “the standing army and reserve troops who fell and were injured in the battles.”
