Israeli attempt to free hostage repelled, says Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades

ISTANBUL (AA) — The armed wing of Palestinian group Hamas said Friday that it had repelled an attempt by Israel’s military to free a prisoner, who was killed during the operation.

The announcement by the Al-Qassam Brigades came in a video showing the Israeli prisoner, who identified himself as Sa’ar Baruch and spoke about the place and date of his capture.

Baruch, 24, said he had been in captivity for 40 days at the time of the filming and wanted to return home.

A written statement that appeared in the video said a “Zionist force infiltrated at dawn (Friday) to the place where the captive was held using an ambulance, disguised under a humanitarian organization in a blatant violation to international law, but was discovered and repelled with fire.”

Then showing traces of blood that it said were from the infiltrating Israeli force, the video concluded by showing a body that it said was Baruch’s, adding that he was killed in the failed attempt.

The Israeli army had said earlier that two soldiers were seriously wounded “during an operation to rescue hostages held by Hamas.”

The army admitted that “no hostages were rescued in this activity.”

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after a week-long suspension. It has killed at least 17,487 Palestinians and injured more than 46,480 others in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following an attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.