Covered bodies at Kibbutz Be’eri near the border with Gaza. Sahar Baruch was kidnapped and his brother murdered in a Hamas attack there. Photo by Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

By Beth Harpaz January 3, 2024

The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday confirmed that a hostage held by Hamas in Gaza died in early December during a failed rescue attempt.

The IDF notified the family of Sahar Baruch, 25, that he was killed during a rescue attempt by a special forces unit, according to multiple media reports. 

“At this point, it is not possible to determine the circumstances of Sahar’s death, and it is not known whether he was murdered by Hamas or killed by our forces’ fire,” the IDF said in a statement. 

Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades initially reported Baruch’s death on Dec. 8 in a statement on Telegram, according to Reuters. That statement said Baruch died during a fight between Hamas and Israeli soldiers attempting the rescue. 

Baruch’s death was confirmed the next day in a joint statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and Kibbutz Be’eri, where he was taken hostage on Oct. 7. Wednesday’s announcement marks the first time the IDF has commented on the circumstances of his death.

Hamas also released a video of Baruch in December in which he spoke about his captivity, before the video cut to an image of his bloody body. “I am Sahar Baruch and I was captured on Oct. 7,” he said. “It has been 40 days and I want to go home.”

The IDF said two Israeli soldiers were injured during the raid, and that Baruch’s body remains in Gaza.

“Our hearts are with the family of Sahar Baruch, who was brutally kidnapped by the terror organization Hamas, which keeps using psychological warfare and inhumane actions,” the IDF’s statement said. 

Hamas kidnapped 240 people and murdered some 1,140 on Oct. 7 in attacks on kibbutzim and a music festival in Israel. Israel responded by launching a war in Gaza that officials there say has killed 22,000 people. 

Baruch’s brother, Idan Baruch, was killed in the attack on the kibbutz, after being injured when terrorists threw grenades into the safe room where the brothers were hiding. Hamas then set the house on fire, and Idan was fatally shot when he fled the burning building. 

More than 100 hostages have so far been released from Gaza. About as many are believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, while two dozen have been declared dead by Israeli officials. 

Before Oct. 7, Baruch had recently returned from a trip to South America, and was registered at Ben-Gurion University to study computer science and engineering. He is survived by his parents, Tami and Roni, and brothers Guy and Niv.

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