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IDF reveals unsuccessful mission to rescue hostage Sahar Baruch

The Baruch family has asked the army to formally recognize their son as having been murdered while in captivity, saying that doing so would honor his memory and clarify his status among the victims of the October 7 attack.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released information about the failed mission to rescue hostage Sahar Baruch, whose body was returned to Israel on Thursday night under the current ceasefire arrangement with Hamas.

Baruch, 25, was taken captive from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, after he and his brother Idan tried to flee their burning home during the Hamas assault.

Months later, on December 8, an elite Sayeret Matkal unit launched a nighttime operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza to free him.

The team entered a building believed to be holding Baruch and immediately came under heavy fire from Hamas terrorists. Intense fighting followed, leaving several terrorists dead and Baruch fatally wounded.

Hamas announced his death the next day, prompting the IDF to confirm that the rescue attempt had failed. A military investigation was opened soon after to determine whether Baruch was killed by Hamas fire or in the crossfire during the exchange. That inquiry remains inconclusive.

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The Baruch family has asked the army to formally recognize their son as having been murdered while in captivity, saying that doing so would honor his memory and clarify his status among the victims of the October 7 attack.

His remains were handed over to Israel on Thursday evening and transferred to the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification and examination.

Forensic specialists are now analyzing the body to better understand the circumstances surrounding his death.

Baruch’s return came as part of a limited agreement between Israel and Hamas allowing for the return of deceased hostages. The IDF said it continues to work to recover all remaining bodies and hostages still held in Gaza.

Officials expressed condolences to Baruch’s family and vowed to bring home every captive, living or deceased. “We will not rest until every hostage is returned,” an IDF spokesperson said following the announcement.