JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli security forces rescued two Hamas-held hostages in a daring nightime raid in the town of Rafah near the Egyptian border.
The two men, Fernando Marman (61) and Louis Har (70), were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7th. The two are dual citizens of Israel and Argentina. They are said to be in good condition.
The hostages were transfered early Monday to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv.
The military operation was led by the Special Operational Command of Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, according to IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari.
The IDF claims many terrorists were killed in the Rafah raid.
Israel’s Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana praised the IDF action, calling it “finally, good news.” He thanked all the security forces involved, adding, “You’ve offered hope to an entire nation.”
Argentinian President Javier Milei, who was in Israel just days ago, hailed the rescue in a statement by his office on X, saying, “The Office of the President thanks the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police for having successfully completed the rescue of the Argentines Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har.”
No Israeli soldiers were killed during the rescue, but two soldiers died in other operations in Gaza. Both were from the IDF’s Maglan unit.