2024-02-11 19:12:27
We have been covering how Israel is preparing to capture the last remaining Hamas stronghold, where Hamas has four battalians, the city of Rafah on the Egyptian border. Hamas leadership surrounded by hostage human shields, is believed to have fled to Rafah, where they further could hide behind large numbers of Gazans who fled to Rafah from the north.
There is fierce international opposition to such an Israeli move, but as Vijeta covered earlier, Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to push forward to “total victory”.
Tonight there were Israeli bombardments of the outskirts of Rafah.
Some of the airstrikes in Rafah a short time ago. pic.twitter.com/EbizJJ5QAe
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) February 12, 2024
But those bombardments may have been cover for a more important operation, the rescue of hostages. The Times of Israel reports:
In only the second such successful operation of its kind since October 7, the IDF announces it has managed to safely rescue two hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
The two, Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Norberto Louis Har (70) were extracted in a joint operation by the IDF, Shin Bet and Israel Police in Rafah.
They were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7.
• 2 hostages Louis Har and Fernando Marman rescued tonight in an operation from Rafah
• Their condition is determined to be good, they were transferred to Sheba Hospital
• Shayetet 13, Shin Bet, and other forces participated in the operation
• This was a hidden apartment in Rafah: “an operation that has been worked on for a long time, and until now the conditions were not there to carry it out”
• The hostages were kept in a hidden apartment on the second floor of the building
• The forces entered the building while the surrounding apartments full of armed terrorists. Air force stopped an attempt to attack the rescuers leaving the scene.
• An hour later: the rescue operation was over
An IDF spokesman said in a briefing to reporters the forces managed to covertly reach the building and go to the second floor, blow up the door of the apartment with an explosive charge and kill the three militants who were holding the two hostages
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) February 12, 2024
The IDF and Shin Bet have been working on the rescue operation for several weeks based on intelligence. The operational opportunity came today. The Israeli air force conducted heavy air strikes in Rafah as a diversion to allow the extraction of the two hostages
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) February 12, 2024
MORE TO FOLLOW
The best touchdown tonight: two hostages rescued and returned to Israel.
pic.twitter.com/QLDP490EYk— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) February 12, 2024
The Rescue Operation by the IDF and Shin Bet tonight within the City of Rafah in the Southern Gaza Strip was Personally Overseen in the Situation Room by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant. pic.twitter.com/J7CipUCtsM
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 12, 2024
Tonight is a case study in the Hamas disinformation machine. Pro-Hamas social media going viral with an alleged Israeli massacre in Rafah. As it turns out, commandos rescued two hostages. You cannot believe anything coming out of Hamas-related sources (Al Jazeera included).
— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) February 12, 2024
Biden called Netanyahu today to tell him not to go into Rafah to avoid a collapse of hostage negotiations.
Israel just rescued two hostages in Rafah.
This is the moment for Biden and his team – and every mainstream media outlet carrying their water – to take a big step back.
— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) February 12, 2024
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