Israel frees 2 hostages; ops kill 67 in Gaza

Israel freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas in Rafah on Monday in a ferocious rescue operation that killed 67 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about one million civilians have sought refuge from months of bombardments.

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The mission by the Israeli military, the Shin Bet security service and a special police unit, freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, the military said. They were among 250 people seized during the October 7 raid by Hamas militants that triggered Israel's war on Gaza.

More than four months on, much of the densely-populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead including 12,300 minors and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, with many others believed to be buried under rubble.

The Israeli military says 31 hostages have died in that time, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday's rescue showed that military pressure should continue and he brushed aside international alarm at its plans for a ground assault on Rafah.