More than four months after the start of the Gaza war, Beniamin Netanyahu was able to display yesterday his first great success before Israeli society and before the relatives of those kidnapped in the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7. The prime minister stuck out his chest after two hostages were released early Monday morning by Israeli commandos in the center of the city of Rafah, in the far south of Gaza, one of the areas that have not yet been occupied by land by Israel. , although he has already announced his invasion.
However, the rescue operation, supported by bombings and fire from the air and described by Netanyahu as “perfect”, had serious side effects: at least 67 Palestinians died, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, although journalistic sources raise the figure. to more than a hundred. Israel says at least 50 of the victims were Hamas fighters.
“This is one of the most successful rescue operations in the history of the State of Israel. “You eliminated the kidnappers, the terrorists, you made your way to return unharmed to Israel: a perfect operation,” Netanhayu told the members of the commando that rescued the hostages, led by members of Yamam, the elite police unit. , assisted by the army and field agents of the internal intelligence service, the Shin Bet. The premier visited the Yamam headquarters accompanied by the Minister of Security, the far-right Itamar Ben-Gvir.
“A few days ago they brought me the operation for approval and I approved it. A few hours later, I thought about three things: the sanctity of the mission; in risks versus possibilities, and there were risks; and thirdly, I thought of you, the warriors,” added Netanyahu.
For his part, Ben-Gvir took the opportunity to bring water to his mill. An exponent of the hardest line and opposed to any negotiation with Hamas, the Minister of Security congratulated the command “in these days when there is talk of an agreement, a promiscuous agreement, but I trust the prime minister.” Last week, Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ counterproposal for a months-long ceasefire that would have led to the phased release of all hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The two released are brothers-in-law and born in Argentina, Fernando Marmán and Luis Har, aged 60 and 70; They have spent 129 days captive. They were kidnapped on October 7 at the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz along with three women from their family: Clara Marmán – Fernando’s sister and Har’s wife –; Gabriela Leimberg – Clara’s sister – and her daughter Mia. The three were freed during the week-long truce last November, when Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad released 105 hostages.
With the exception of the rescue of a soldier at the end of October, yesterday’s are the only successful releases achieved by Israel without negotiating with Hamas, which during these months has led the relatives of the hostages to increase criticism against Netanyahu and to position themselves against favor of another truce that allows new liberations.
The Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons yesterday congratulated the military and police who participated in the operation, but implicitly insisted on negotiating with Hamas. “Time is running out for the remaining hostages held captive by Hamas. Their lives are at risk with every passing moment. “The Israeli Government must exhaust all options on the table to free them,” the Forum said in a statement.
There are still 134 kidnapped people in Gaza, of whom it is estimated that around thirty have died during captivity, supposedly as a result of bombings or combat. Three hostages were killed in December by Israeli soldiers when they were mistaken for Palestinian insurgents, provoking a wave of indignation in Israel against Netanyahu’s inflexible discourse, which insists on forcibly rescuing the captives, leaving the negotiation with Hamas in the background. “Only the continuation of military pressure, until complete victory, will result in the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu reiterated yesterday.
The operation lasted an hour and began around one in the morning (local time). The entry into action of the Yamam command, which had to go up to the second floor of a residential building in Rafah where the hostages were guarded by three Hamas members, was preceded by an intense bombardment of naval artillery and drones, as well as fire. aerial from helicopters, which covered the entry of the elite police officers and their exit, already protecting Marmán and Har.
“Getting to the objective in the heart of Rafah was very complicated,” explained the spokesman for the armed forces, Daniel Hagari, who clarified that the commandos arrived “clandestinely” to the city and carried out a “very complex action.” Hagari added that “there was intense firepower from the air.”