Israeli forces rescued two hostages this morning in Rafah, the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, Fernando Simón Marman, 60 years old, and Norberto Louis Har, of 70, both kidnapped at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7. Fernando and Luis, the two Argentine-Israelis and their family, have been released 124 days after being kidnapped.

“They both meet in good health and have been transferred to the Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital for their medical examination,” indicated a joint statement from the Army, the Police and the Shin Bet intelligence services, the three forces involved in the operation.

This is the second successful hostage rescue achieved by Israel, after capturing alive the soldier Ori Megidish at the end of October, when the ground operation in the Gaza Strip began. In the operation in Rafah, the southern tip of the Strip where more than a million Gazans displaced by violence live, they killed almost a hundred Palestinians. Hamas has accused them of committing a “slaughter”. In addition to the 3 hostages rescued – two this Monday -, 110 captives have been freed by Hamas, 105 of them as part of the only truce agreement reached in November.

The reunion with your loved ones

Luis and Fernando have melted into the long-awaited embrace of their families. Since the end of November, Clara Marman, hostage released, an Israeli of Argentine origin, has been able to reunite with his partner, Luis Har, but also with his brother Fernando. Both men were released this Monday, but just five days ago, Clara told laSexta Noticias how she imagined this moment. “I’m just getting ready to receive… Let go of all my feelings. Slowly, slowly they can adapt to life,” he said excitedly.

It has been impossible to break away from that hug after two months apart. Both Luis and Fernando say that they had barely eaten in the last few days, just pita bread and cheese. But that freedom that the family wanted has arrived to be able to celebrate Luis’s imminent birthday together. “We want him here on his birthday. My mom had her birthday there.”. My uncle served there…”, Clara recalled days ago.

They live a movie-like happy ending, but there are still a hundred hostages in the hands of Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded keep up the pressure military to free them. A pressure that already leaves more than 28,000 Palestinians dead, of which the majority are children.