Israel says it struck Rafah as a diversion to rescue hostages

A “wave of attacks” on Gaza City on Monday morning allowed soldiers to bring two captives to safety, Israel said. Local media said the airstrikes killed at least a dozen Palestinians.

The Israeli army said Monday morning that it had carried out a “wave of 'attacks' on the town of Rafah in Gaza, which were intended to divert attention when soldiers managed to free two hostages held by Hamas. Local media reported that at least a dozen Palestinians were killed in the airstrikes.

The strikes, the latest in a series carried out by Israel in Rafah in recent weeks has fueled fear and panic among more than a million Palestinians who have gathered in Gaza's southernmost town, seeking refuge from Israeli military actions further north. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday that the army would soon enter Rafah, which is surrounded by a closed Egyptian border.

At 1:49 a.m. local time, the forces Israeli special forces broke into a building where the two hostages were being held, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said at a press conference. About a minute later, Israeli forces fired on nearby buildings, creating cover for soldiers to safely get the hostages out and back to Israel, he said.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Wafa, The Palestinian Authority news agency said at least a dozen people were killed by the airstrikes, citing local health authorities. Images and videos on social media, which could not immediately be verified, showed injured people and damaged buildings in Rafah.

The Media reports reported deadly attacks on two mosques in Rafah and said people were being taken to Kuwait Hospital in the city. Neither the toll nor the Israeli account could immediately be verified.

Mr. Netanyahu ignored warnings from Israel's most important allies, including the United States and Britain, not to follow through on plans to send troops to Rafah, saying Israel had no alternative choice but to end its assault on Hamas, which it claims is hiding among civilians in Rafah.

We are having difficulty recovering the contents of the article.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.< /p>

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode, please exit and log in to your Times account, or subscribe to the entire Times.