Benjamin Netanyahu defended this Monday his strategy of maintaining military pressure on Gaza to free the hostages after the Israeli army managed to free two prisoners in an operation in Rafah.
“I salute our brave warriors for the courageous effort that led to liberation.” of the two hostages, said the Israeli prime minister. “Only maintaining military pressure until complete victory will result in the release of our hostages,” the president added in a statement.
For its part, the Forum of Families of Hostages and Disappeared Persons celebrated the Israeli Defense Forces’ success in freeing the two prisoners Fernando Simón Marman and Norberto Luis Har, but warned Netanyahu again that “time is running out for the held hostages.” in the hands of Hamas.
More than 130 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip
The lives of the more than 130 hostages still in Gaza -It is believed that only a hundred of them are alive and the rest are dead-““You are in danger every moment that passes.”Therefore, “the Israeli government must exhaust all options available to it to free her,” the relatives said.
The hostages’ relatives and friends are putting increasing pressure on the authorities to reach an agreement with Hamas to release their relatives, while Netanyahu has asserted that Hamas’ demands for a ceasefire are unacceptable and has so far appealed to continue with the military route.
This evening’s complex operation, which resulted in the release of both prisoners, is the second successfully carried out by the Israeli army since the start of the war more than four months ago, having also managed to free an Israeli soldier in October.
On October 7, they arrested more than 240 people
On October 7, the day the conflict began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, Palestinian militiamen took more than 240 people hostage to Gaza.
Of these, in addition to the two prisoners released today, a total of 112 were published, most in a week-long ceasefire last November.
The rescue operation in Rafah this morning came as Israeli forces attacked the city – home to about 1.4 million Palestinians – with intense bombardment, resulting in the deaths of about a hundred people, according to Palestinian sources.