'We see no way to eliminate Hamas militarily without destroying these remaining battalions.'

'If we stop the war now, before all of its goals are achieved, this means that Israel will have lost the war, and this we will not allow. Therefore, we cannot, and will not, succumb to this pressure.'

'The IDF is prepared for the operation and to evacuate the [civilian] population,' Says Netanyahu.

U.S. military insiders said they believe that Israel is holding off on a Rafah operation for the time being.

'They understand that Hamas is part of the Iranian axis of terror, which threatens them as much as it threatens us.'

Netanyahu asked world leaders how they can expect Israel 'to leave a quarter of Hamas’s [organized fighting] force intact, in a defined territory. We won’t allow that.'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the rescue mission 'one of the most successful in Israeli history.'

IAF airstrikes were used in the operation, with special forces guarding the hostages while they brought them to safety under heavy fire from terrorists.

As tears of joy flowed freely, the families clung to each other, grateful for their reunion and the precious gift of freedom.

Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Norberto Louis Har (70), both dual Argentinian and Israeli citizens, were abducted from their homes in kibbutz Nir Yitzchak by Hamas.

The IDF, Israel Security Agency and Israel Police worked together to free the two, who are both from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak and in good medical condition, per the IDF.

A captured Hamas terrorist provided Israeli intelligence with a trove of information on plans to attack Israel as well as Iran's support for these acts of terror.

Egyptian forces discovered a tunnel between Egypt and the Gaza Strip - the longest one they've found so far since the start of operations near the border to crack down on smuggling and create a buffer zone.