Israeli army confirms identity of soldier held hostage by Hamas

After Hamas’ armed wing released a video featuring the young woman in captivity, the Israeli army verified on Tuesday the identity of a soldier being held captive by the organisation.

“Our hearts go out to the Marciano family, whose daughter, Noa, was brutally kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organisation,” the army said in a statement released shortly after midnight.

“We are using all means, both intelligence and operational, to bring the hostages home.”

It was the first time the army has formally verified the identification of a captive since over 240 persons were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7 when they broke through the heavily guarded border with Gaza.

The soldier was shown in a video released by Hamas’ Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades on Monday night, ostensibly reading a statement in Hebrew in which she claimed to have been held in Gaza for four days and gave her name and identity card number.

“An IDF (Israel Defense Forces) representative came to the family’s home and informed them of the video’s publication,” the army statement said.

“The Hamas terrorist organization continues to exploit psychological terrorism and act inhumanely, through videos and photos of the hostages, as done in the past.”

The Israeli army has been waging a campaign to destroy Hamas, whose gunmen it says killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the worst attack on the country since its founding.

Israel says 44 of its troops have also been killed in fighting in Gaza.

The country is facing intense international calls to minimise civilian suffering during its massive air and ground operations, which the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says have killed 11,240 people, including 4,630 children.