Israeli army announces operation was unsuccessful

In a written statement issued by the Israeli Army, it was stated that soldiers raided a location belonging to Hamas on Thursday night and neutralized armed individuals involved in the kidnapping and capture of Israelis.

The statement reported that 2 soldiers were seriously wounded in the operation and noted that the hostages could not be rescued during the attempt.

STATEMENT FROM HAMAS

Simultaneously with the Israeli army's statement on the matter, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video regarding the failed rescue attempt.

At the beginning of the video, it was stated that an Israeli soldier named Sa’ar Baruch died during the failed attempt by Israeli forces, and that those who came to rescue him were also killed and wounded.

Later in the video, the hostage Baruch's remarks before his death were included. Baruch stated that he was 24 years old, was taken hostage on October 7, that his home was in the Israeli settlement of Be'eri, that he had been held captive in Gaza for 40 days, and that he wanted to return home.

The text that appeared on the screen afterwards stated that Israeli forces attempted to infiltrate the location where the hostage soldier was held at 02:30 at night by using an ambulance, and that after this was detected, a clash broke out with the infiltrating forces.

The video later showed images of bloodstains said to belong to the Israeli soldiers who attempted the infiltration, as well as military equipment seized from them.

Finally, images of Baruch covered in blood were shown.

“40 WOUNDED TRANSFERRED FROM GAZA TO ISRAEL”

In a report announced on the website of the Maariv newspaper, it was stated that 40 wounded soldiers were brought to Soroka Hospital in the south of the country in the last 24 hours.

The report also stated that the 2 soldiers wounded in the hostage rescue operation in Gaza were taken to intensive care at the same hospital.

It was reported that 10 of the wounded soldiers are in critical condition.

Hamas had announced early in the morning that an Israeli hostage soldier, whom the Israeli army had attempted to rescue in the blockaded Gaza Strip, had died in the ensuing clash.