60-year-old Fernando Simon Marman and 70-year-old Norberto Louis Har were in the hands of Hamas terrorists for no less than 128 days. They have now been released in a special operation: the men have already been reunited with their families during heartbreaking encounters.
On October 7, the two Israelis, who are also Argentine nationals, were abducted from a security room in a house at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the Hamas massacre. Three women were also kidnapped to the Gaza Strip: Louis’ partner and sister of Fernando, Clara Marman, 63, his sister Gabriela Leimberg, 59, and her daughter Mia, 17.
The freed hostage was overwhelmed by crowds
The women were released at the end of November as part of the hostage situation with the terrorists. Now the other family members are also safe; the joy of seeing them again at the Shiba Hospital near Tel Aviv, where the rescued men were transferred for examination, was correspondingly great.
“He is a bit shocked by all the commotion,” says the 70-year-old’s son-in-law. “He didn’t say much about what had happened to him and wanted to know how we, the children and the grandchildren were doing,” he told the KAN station outside the hospital.
Further medical examinations in the coming days
The doctors are confident that the men will recover quickly from the strain. ‘Your condition seems to be good. We are currently conducting a preliminary assessment and testing her for her condition. Due to the long time in captivity, further tests are expected in the next two days,” said Yael Frenkel Nir, deputy director of Sheba Medical Center.
The five kidnapped family members were initially held captive together in the city of Rafah. When the women were released at the end of November, Clara found it difficult to say goodbye. “I should have been very happy after the liberation from Gaza, but part of me stayed there – both my partner and my brother. “It’s a big problem,” she told Ynet a few weeks ago. Lois assured her that they would see each other again. “Tell them I love them very much and we will be there soon,” he told her as a message to the rest of the family. “We will see each other and hug.”
Elite units protected hostages with their own bodies
The liberation of the two men was a carefully planned operation. “We have been preparing for this operation and waiting for the conditions that would allow us to carry it out,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said. Airstrikes were carried out first, after which an elite police unit broke into the apartment where the hostages were being held.
The rescuers protected the men with their own bodies: “The soldiers pulled Louis and Fernando out of the apartment and kept them under fire until they reached the safe zone,” Hagari explained. He further promised: “We will not forget for a moment that 134 hostages are still being held in Gaza. If you can hear me now, we are determined to bring you home and we will not miss a single opportunity to do so.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
