In a meticulously planned and executed operation, Israeli forces rescued hostages from Rafah on the Egyptian border in southern Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and Yaman, the special forces of the police, brought home Louis Har and Fernando Marman, abducted on October 7 from Nir Yitzhak. This essential operation fills our hearts with pride for Israel and increases our determination to bring the remaining 134 hostages home.
The operation shows how dedication and determination have paid off in this war against a vicious genocidal terrorist organization. Hamas spent more than 16 years robbing the people of Gaza so that it could fill Gaza with tunnels and weapons and turn it into the world’s largest concentration of terrorist infrastructure. It was into this world of horror and terror that hostages were taken on October 7.
It is tough to rescue them because Hamas has embedded itself in the civilian areas of Gaza. In Rafah, as elsewhere in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has surrounded itself with more than one million human shields. It bases forces near hospitals, builds terror centers under UNRWA facilities and everywhere there is a civilian site Hamas often tries to burrow beneath it.
We know this because of the testimony of other hostages and evidence of how they were kept in Khan Yunis or held in private homes. For instance, hostages were held in private homes near Shifa Hospital and transported to Shifa and the Indonesian hospital.
To free the two hostages in Rafah took long preparation and precise timing. “This was a complex rescue operation under fire in the heart of Rafah, based on valuable intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate and the Israel Security Agency,” IDF spokesperson, R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari, said.
“We have prepared for this operation for some time, and with the necessary preparations made we waited for conditions that would allow its implementation,” he added.
Even as it was taking place, Hamas and the pro-Hamas media in the region and online were accusing Israel of attacking civilians in Gaza, and spreading rumors about IDF losses. It is essential to understand the lengths Hamas has gone to prevent an IDF operation like this. It organized supporters abroad, many active and on social media, and it spread false narratives about Rafah.
This is a lesson. Israel needs to pursue its interests and not fall into the powerful propaganda trap set by Hamas, its patrons, backers, and hosts. It goes far beyond channels openly affiliated with Hamas in its psychological warfare. It releases hostage videos, spreads lies in the media, and seeks to manipulate Israel into ending the war.
For instance, just before this operation, Hamas was trying to win a long-term ceasefire to rebuild its forces and terror threats. Hamas uses the entry point at Rafah to control the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gazans, and to rebuild its influence.
Hamas's global backing
There are still 134 hostages in Gaza. We will not stop until each one is returned. On October 7 Hamas turned parts of Israel near Gaza into a hellish inferno after thriving with foreign backing for many years.
It has received support from international organizations and has exploited UN institutions. Hamas has committed crimes against humanity for too long and its attempt to hang onto power in its last redoubt, Rafah, is apparent and must be thwarted. Our hostage rescue highlights the threat that Hamas poses to the hostages’ lives the longer it holds onto this key area along the Egyptian border. It is essential to continue IDF action to locate more hostages and to root Hamas out of there.