Israeli army confirms identity of soldier held hostage by Hamas

JERUSALEM (AP) : The Israeli army confirmed on Tuesday the identity of a soldier being held hostage by Hamas, after the armed wing of the Palestinian group published a video showing the young woman in captivity.

“Our hearts go out to the Marciano family, whose daughter, Noa, was brutally kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization,” 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 officially confirmed a hostage’s identity since Hamas gunmen abducted about 240 people when they stormed across the militarised border from Gaza on October 7.

On Monday night, Hamas’ Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades published a video of the soldier apparently reading a message in Hebrew in which she identified herself by name and identity card number and said she had been detained in Gaza for four days.

“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 minimize 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.