Hamas claims to foil Israeli hostage-rescue effort
An Israeli official declined to comment on the matter as the war between the two rages on in Gaza following the collapse of the cease-fire.
Hamas said on Friday that it deterred an Israeli attempt to retrieve a hostage in the Gaza Strip.
The group’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said its fighters foiled an attempt by Israeli special forces to reach a hostage. As the two sides clashed, the Israeli forces suffered casualties and Israeli aircraft struck the area. A 25-year-old captive, Israeli soldier Sa'ar Baruch, was killed in the ordeal, Hamas said in a post on Telegram.
The al-Qassam Brigades did not specify where the incident occurred.
When asked about Hamas’ claim, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy told reporters that Israel is “not going to comment on psychological warfare that Hamas continues to wage.” Israel’s list of hostages includes a civilian student named Sahar Baruch who was 24 at the time of his capture, Reuters reported.
![3:20 pm: Netanyahu says war will be “long and difficult” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war against Hamas is expected to take long and will be difficult, but pledged that Israel will prevail. ''The war will be long. It will be difficult. Challenging days are ahead of us. But we will win it [the war],” Netanyahu said. In a short statement to the press, the Israeli premier warned that "the IDF will immediately use all of its power to destroy them (Hamas) and to take revenge with force for](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/2023-10/GettyImages-1712265938.jpg?h=790be497&itok=DpfaIqjl)
