“Only the continuation of military pressure” up to the “victory” will free “all our hostages” in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday, February 12, after the release of two of them during a military operation during the night. “I salute our brave warriors for the bold action that led to their release”, he added. Follow our live stream.
Two hostages released. “Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, were recovered during a nighttime operation in Rafah carried out jointly by the army, the Shin Beth [Sécurité intérieure] and the Israeli police., according to a press release from these three services. Abducted from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7, the two men were taken to the Sheba Medical Center, in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, for initial medical examinations. “They are in stable condition”, described the director of the establishment. According to Hamas, “around 100” people were killed during this nighttime operation.
Rafah under threat of an imminent Israeli offensive. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his army to prepare an offensive on Rafah, on the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians are currently massing, according to the UN. The Palestinian town, which has become a gigantic encampment, is the last urban center where the Israeli army has not yet penetrated.
International warnings against Israel. Several states have warned against “humanitarian disaster” in the event of an assault on the overpopulated city. Benyamin Netanyahu affirms that his country will ensure “a secure passage for the civilian population so that they can leave” the city, without specifying where civilians could take refuge.
Another hundred hostages. Around 250 people were kidnapped in Israel on October 7 and taken to Gaza. A week-long truce in November allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinians detained by Israel. Before the release of the last two hostages, Israel estimated that 132 were still detained in Gaza, of whom 29 were believed to have died.