Israel-Gaza updates: Nasser Hospital no longer 'functional,' WHO chief says

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matt Miller on Monday downplayed recent Israeli military operations in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, saying the United States did not assess that the overnight strikes were a prelude to a full ground incursion there.

The Israelis "have conducted airstrikes against Rafah, really, since going back to the original days of the campaign," Miller said. "It is not our assessment that this airstrike is the launch of a full-scale offensive happening in Rafah."

Miller again stressed that the U.S. wanted to see "a credible plan that they can actually execute" to address humanitarian concerns before Israel undertakes any kind of military campaign in Rafah, and that the State Department was looking forward to receiving briefings on the evacuation preparations Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered last week.

The Israel Defense Forces said details of a civilian evacuation from Rafah are being planned and will take some time.

Miller also dismissed the notion that Israel’s strikes on Rafah could have a detrimental impact on hostage talks.

"I don't think it should and I think that Israelis are well within their rights to do everything in their power to try to get back the hostages that were taken from Israel and continue to be held and held for far too long now," he asserted. "It should in no way impact the negotiations."

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

Two hostages, Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who were among those kidnapped in Israel on Oct. 7, were rescued during a special operation in Rafah in southern Gaza early Monday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Monday, "We will continue to make every effort in every way to create the conditions for the return of the abductees, including … the possibility of a deal."

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said in a statement, "We commend the IDF soldiers who demonstrated strength and bravery to secure the release of the two hostages, and wish them all to return home safely and speedily. Time is running out for the remaining hostages held captive by Hamas. Their lives are at risk with each passing moment. The Israeli government must exhaust every option on the table to release them. The lives of 134 hostages still hang in the balance."

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in an operation in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Editor's Note: This post has been updated to say the two IDF soldiers were killed in a mission in Khan Younis, not during Monday's hostage rescue mission in Rafah.

The location of two hostages rescued early Monday from the Gaza Strip was known for weeks, but the special operation was delayed several times due to fears it would cost the hostages their lives, an Israeli source told ABC News.

It took Israeli forces about 40 minutes from the time they entered the building in Rafah in southern Gaza, where the two hostages were being held, to placing them on a helicopter that flew them out of the area, according to the Israeli source.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Morgan Winsor