Israel claims to have rescued two hostages during a raid in Rafah, amid reports of heavy airstrikes on the southern Gaza city.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) tweeted on Monday that the rescue of the hostages was an overnight mission.
IDF tweeted:
“During a joint operation between the IDF, ISA, and Israel Police, two Israeli hostages from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak were rescued: Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Louis Har (70).”
“They are both in good medical condition and were transferred for further medical examination in Israel.”
On October 7, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, kidnapped both men from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak as part of an unprecedented attack on Israel, according to the military.
According to IDF spokesperson Richard Hecht, “It was a very complex operation”.
Hecht also stated that the military had been working on the operation for some time, stating that the troops “were waiting for the right conditions”.
According to an IDF spokesperson, the hostages were held on the second floor of a building that was breached with an explosive charge during the raid, which resulted in a heavy exchange of gunfire from nearby buildings.
The attack comes after the international community issued warnings about Israel’s planned offensive in the city, where 1.5 million people are sheltering.
However, there are conflicting reports on the number of casualties: the Associated Press (AP) reported that at least 50 Palestinians, including children, were killed, citing Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, while Reuters reported 37 deaths, citing Gaza health officials.
The only humanitarian aid corridor into Gaza is Rafah, which is located on the Egyptian border.