Israeli army confirms death of hostage in rescue operation
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The army said it had notified Mr Sahar Baruch’s family that he was killed during “an attempt to rescue him on Dec 8“.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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JERUSALEM - Israel’s military confirmed on Jan 3 that a hostage kidnapped in the Oct 7 Hamas attack
Mr Sahar Baruch, among 250 hostages seized by Palestinian militants and taken to Gaza after the shock attack on southern Israel, was confirmed dead in December by his kibbutz community.
The army said it had notified Mr Baruch’s family that he was killed during “an attempt to rescue him on Dec 8”.
“At this stage, we are unable to determine the circumstances around his death and whether he was killed by (Israeli) fire or he was murdered by Hamas,” the army said in a statement.
Hamas announced Mr Baruch’s death on Dec 9, saying he was killed during an attempt by the army to rescue him and released a video showing his remains.
The Hamas attack on Oct 7 resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Among the hostages taken to Gaza, some 129 still remain in captivity, according to Israel.
In response to the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched a relentless offensive
