Norberto Louis Har (L) and Fernando Simon Marman (Screenshot/X)
Two residents of Kibbutz Nir Itzhak kidnapped on October 7th airlifted to a hospital in central Israel, reunited with their families.
By World Israel News Staff
Two hostages kidnapped on October 7th were safely rescued from the Gaza Strip and returned to Israel early Monday morning, in a joint operation by the Israeli army, police, and Shin Bet intelligence agency.
The two rescued men were named as Norberto Louis Har, 70, and Fernando Simon Marman, 61. Both of the men are Argentinian-born residents of Kibbutz Nir Itzhak near Gaza.
“Overnight, we brought back Louis and Fernando. This was a complex rescue operation under fire based on sensitive intelligence. A professional and accurate operation,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a press conference shortly after the rescue.
According to a statement from Sheba Hospital in central Israel, Har and Marman are in good health and have been reunited with their family members.
The pair were being held in an apartment building in the city of Rafah, a Hamas stronghold near the Egyptian border.
According to Hagari, troops burst into the apartment to rescue Har and Marman, using “intense firepower” against terrorists in and around the building.
The Israeli Air Force was also involved in the rescue, targeting terrorists on the ground and clearing the way for ground forces to operate safely.
Argentine President Javier Milei, a strong supporter of Israel who visited the country just days ago, thanked Israel’s security forces on social media platform X.
“The Office of the President thanks the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police for having successfully completed the rescue of the Argentines Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har,” his office tweeted.
“During his visit to the State of Israel, President Javier Milei reiterated to President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the request for the release of each of the Argentine hostages, and continues to firmly maintain his condemnation of Hamas terrorism.”
The Hamas terror group called the operation “a massacre” in a statement, stating that the rescue resulted in the deaths of some 100 Gazans.
Hamas failed to reveal how many of those killed were terrorists.
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