Israeli Special Forces Frees Two Hostages in Rafah Under Cover of Air Strike, Escalating Tensions

Defense News ,Israel Hamas War :- Israel launched a special forces operation to free two Israeli hostages in Rafah, resulting in a toll of 37 lives and dozens wounded in the southern Gaza city during early morning air strikes on Monday. The operation, carried out by the Israel Defence Force (IDF), Israel's Shin Bet security service, and the Special Police Unit, successfully liberated Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, who were kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7.

Israeli military spokesman Lt Col. Richard Hecht described the rescue mission as "a very complex operation," emphasizing the extensive planning that went into it. The hostages were held on the second floor of a building, breached by an explosive charge during the raid, which involved intense gunfire with surrounding structures. Simultaneously, air strikes were conducted to facilitate the extraction of the forces.

The air strikes induced panic in Rafah, with many residents asleep when the attacks began. There were fears that Israel had initiated a ground offensive into Rafah. Israeli planes, tanks, and ships participated in the strikes, causing damage to two mosques and several houses.

The Israeli military announced that the "series of strikes" on southern Gaza had concluded, without providing detailed information. Notably, Israel did not implement a specific evacuation plan for civilians in Rafah, despite U.S. President Joe Biden advising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching a military operation without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the roughly 1 million people sheltering there.

Aid agencies have expressed concerns, stating that an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic, as it is currently the last relatively safe place in the Gaza Strip, which has been ravaged by Israel's military offensive. President Biden, in a 45-minute conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, reiterated his concerns about the civilian toll and urged caution in military actions.

Netanyahu's office disclosed that the military had been instructed to develop a plan for evacuating Rafah and neutralizing four Hamas battalions allegedly stationed there. The ongoing conflict stems from Hamas militants' actions on October 7, where they killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted at least 250. Israel's response has resulted in a military assault on the Gaza Strip, claiming over 28,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

In an interview aired on Sunday, Netanyahu justified Israel's war in the region, asserting that a sufficient number of the 132 remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza were alive. However, a senior Hamas leader warned that any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would jeopardize hostage-exchange negotiations.

Egypt, on its part, issued a warning of "dire consequences" if Israel were to launch a military assault on Rafah, emphasizing the need for international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city. The situation remains highly tense, with the international community closely monitoring developments in the region.