Argentina’s newly elected far-right President, Javier Milei, has thanked the Israeli military for rescuing two hostages from Rafah in southern Gaza.

In a statement, Milei called for “the release of each of the Argentine hostages and continues to firmly maintain his condemnation of Hamas terrorism.”

Milei, who was in Israel last week on a state visit, has pledged to cultivate closer ties between the countries, saying he will move Argentina’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Milei’s statement was in response to an Israeli announcement which revealed that the military has rescued two men, aged 60 and 70, from Rafah in southern Gaza.

The captives were rescued in an overnight operation in Rafah as Palestinians brace for a major offensive on the densely crowded city in southern Gaza.

According to Ashraf al-Qudra, Gaza’s Health Ministry Spokesperson, Israel’s overnight strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed 67 Palestinians and wounded dozens.

Israeli military Spokesperson, Daniel Hagari provided details of the captive released saying that the Israeli military has been working on the rescue of two captives from Rafah “for a long time.”

He noted that conditions were not “ripe to carry it out until now, and we waited for them to ripen.”

He added that reaching the “target” in the heart of Rafah was “very complex.”

Hagari said that the Israeli military arrived at the building located in Rafah’s Shabura neighbourhood at about 1am and broke in.

Gunfire was exchanged with gunmen in adjacent buildings when the captives were extracted.

“There was intense firepower from the air. Fire was opened from nearby buildings. The Air Force struck intensively there,” he said. “Many terrorists were eliminated tonight in this action.”

There were no fatalities but one soldier was injured, Hagari said.

The Israeli military also announced that two soldiers were killed in combat on Sunday, February 11, 2024.

The two men, both 21 years old and members of the Magellan unit, were killed during fighting in southern Gaza. No injuries were reported.

Nonetheless, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu iterated on Monday, February 12, 2024 that Israel will not pass up any opportunity to free more captives from Gaza.

He described sustained military pressure until “total victory” over Hamas as essential for Israeli security.

His statement was issued after Israeli special forces freed two captives in a rescue operation in Rafah, southern Gaza.

The prospect of wider operations in the city, which is packed with displaced people, has alarmed the international community.

Palestinian Foreign Ministry Slams Israel’s Attacks On Gaza

The ministry “condemned in the strongest terms the mass massacres” the Israeli forces continue to commit against Palestinians, especially displaced people.

“Israel is officially continuing to target civilians and transfer the war to Rafah to push the population to get displaced under bombardment,” it said in a statement released on X.

“The recent massacres of the occupation are evidence of the validity of international warnings and fears of catastrophic results of the expansion of the war to Rafah,” the ministry added.

Additionally, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying that it is “deeply concerned” about “reports of an Israeli military operation in Rafah.”

“As the humanitarian situation on the ground deteriorates and the number of civilian casualties, including a large number of children, women, and elderly people, continues to rise, it is crucial to improve the humanitarian situation as soon as possible and to secure an environment in which humanitarian assistance activites can be carried out to achieve this,” the statement said.