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Two IDF soldiers were severely injured in a failed attempt to rescue hostages in Gaza.
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The wounded soldiers were part of a raid on a Hamas compound.
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The mission “eliminated” Hamas militants, but no hostages were retrieved, the IDF said.
An IDF special forces mission to a Hamas compound in Gaza in an attempt to rescue hostages backfired, The Jerusalem Post reports.
The “intelligence-led” operation failed to free any hostages, and two Israeli soldiers were severely wounded, said The Post.
“The forces raided a Hamas building and eliminated terrorists who took part in the kidnapping and holding the hostages. No hostages were rescued in this activity,” the IDF said, per Israel’s N12 news outlet.
The operation carried out on Friday night, targeted a Hamas compound where militants responsible for the kidnapping and holding of hostages were believed to be located.
The special forces engaged in a battle with the Hamas fighters, according to reports. Despite the tactical success, no hostages were found.
Families of the wounded soldiers have been notified, and the IDF remains committed to various operational and intelligence efforts, in collaboration with other security organizations, to locate and free the hostages, the IDF said.
An IDF spokesperson emphasized the ongoing commitment to providing verified information to the families and cautioned against the spread of unverified rumors.
Hamas claims to have thwarted a “Zionist attempt” during the operation, reporting an exchange of fire when the special forces were discovered, per N12.
The group alleged that military aircraft intervened and bombed the location. Hamas also asserts that they obtained a rifle belonging to one of the soldiers and a special forces radio.
Business Insider was not able to verify these claims independently.
Hamas and other militants seized around 247 hostages in their October 7 terrorist attack on southern Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed.
Israel retaliated with a ferocious air campaign and ground invasion on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 17,000, two-thirds of them women and children, according to health authorities in the Hamas-ruled territory.
In a recent weeklong cease-fire, Hamas and Israel exchanged dozens of hostages held in Gaza for scores of Palestinians released from Israeli prisons.
Israel said last week that 136 hostages remain in Gaza, AP reported.
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