Israel freed two hostages in Rafah following airstrikes on Monday, but local health officials report 37 dead and dozens injured, according to Reuters.
The Israeli military reported the successful release of Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, in a joint operation between the Israel Defence Force (IDF), Israel’s domestic Shin Bet security service and the Special Police Unit in Rafah.
It was a very complex operation. We’ve been working a long time on this operation. We were waiting for the right conditions.
The Israeli military stated that the aerial strike on Rafah coincided with a raid aimed at evacuating its forces. Israeli aircraft, tanks and ships took part in the strikes. Two mosques and several homes were hit, residents claimed.
US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that Israel should not launch a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to secure the estimated 1 million people sheltering there.
Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took at least 250 hostages during a surprise attack on 7 October. At the same time, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 28,000 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s retaliatory hostilities.
