Israeli military rescues 2 hostages from Hamas captivity in overnight mission; relatives ‘ecstatic’

[Geee]

NY Post

The Israeli military rescued two Israeli-Argentinian hostages in an overnight mission in Gaza more than four months after they were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the group’s deadly invasion of Israel, officials announced late Sunday.

The two men — identified as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 — were freed from captivity after Israeli soldiers raided a residential building in Rafah where at least seven people were also killed.

 

Both men, Argentinian-Israeli dual citizens, were kidnapped and taken to Gaza from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak along with other loved ones during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which prompted the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. The men are the second and third hostages rescued by the Jewish state.

Marman and Har, who are brothers-in-law, are both in good medical condition, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said during a briefing the rescue relied on “precise intelligence” and the site where the hostages were held – on the second floor of the building – had been under surveillance for “some time.”

 

“It was a very complex operation,” Hecht said. “We’ve been working a long time on this operation. We were waiting for the right conditions.”

The hostages were reached after an explosive breached the building as a heavy exchange of gunfire took place with surrounding buildings and multiple airstrikes were carried out.

Israeli planes, tanks and ships all took part in the strikes that hit two mosques and multiple houses, residents told Reuters.