Rafah: Israel rescues two hostages in Gaza for the first time and operation leads to at least 67 deaths | international

For the first time in more than four months of war in Gaza, Israeli forces released two hostages in a rescue operation this Monday: 60-year-old Fernando Simón Marmon and 70-year-old Norberto Luis Haar, both citizens and dual Argentines. -People of Israeli nationality. According to the health authorities of the Strip, the maneuver, prepared long ago while waiting for the opportune moment to launch it, has been accompanied by intense air and artillery bombardment as a distraction maneuver, which within a few hours led to At least 67 people have died. Hamas has called it a “genocide against unarmed civilians.” Army spokesman Daniel Hagari admits that the use of “intense firepower” is necessary to carry out “a complex rescue operation amid fires in the center of Rafah city”, which is Israel’s next target and which is intended to save more than a million Palestinians. Is to displace.

This is an unusual success at a time of internal doubt about war strategy. The special forces – past heroes of liberation who eventually acquired legendary character – had managed to bring back only one soldier in 129 days of the war. The military has also acknowledged that rescue efforts failed and caused casualties, and accidentally killed at least four abducted people, three of whom were accompanied by white flags and food remains, despite messages written in Hebrew.

The operation also gives Netanyahu a break at a time when his stance on the hostage issue is most questioned. The families accused him of sacrificing them to get a “victory picture”. An internal Israeli military investigation concluded last week that one of the hostages likely died in an aerial bombardment. Negotiations for a Palestinian prisoner exchange that have been underway for weeks have failed to materialize and the prime minister stresses almost daily the importance of force to recover the kidnapped. He did so again in a statement this Monday: “Fernando and Luis, welcome home. I salute our brave fighters for their courageous act that led to their release. Only sustained military pressure can lead to complete victory. Can release all our hostages.” After this Monday’s rescue, 134 people remain, of whom at least 31 are dead.

The hospital confirmed after preliminary investigation that both the released people were in good health. They are brothers-in-law and were captured along with three relatives in an October 7 attack on a kibbutz near Gaza: Clara Marmon, Har’s wife; His sister Gabriella Limburg and her teenage daughter Mia Limburg. The three, who also had Argentine nationality, were able to return to their home in late November, due to an exchange of 105 hostages for 240 Palestinian prisoners between Israel and Hamas during a week-long ceasefire.

The Office of the Argentine Presidency expressed its gratitude for the operation. Xavier Miley recently concluded a visit to Israel, in which he showed strong support for the country, reaffirmed his promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem and denounced Hamas as “modern Nazism.” The office reminded in the statement that Miley had asked both Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog for the release of all of the approximately 10 Argentine hostages.

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