The IDF has informed the family of Sahar Baruch, one of the hostages who was kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7, that he was killed during a rescue attempt about a month ago. The rescue attempt was led by a special unit on the night of December 7. The IDF stated that at this stage it is not possible to determine the circumstances of the death and it is not known whether he was murdered by Hamas or killed by the fire from IDF forces. Sahar, 25, is survived by his parents Tami and Roni Baruch, and his brothers Guy and Niv. About a month before the massacre, he returned from a vacation to South America, and shortly after that he was supposed to begin his studies as a student in the electrical engineering department at Ben Gurion University. Kibbutz Be'eri first announced that Sahar had died in Hamas captivity on December 7. Hamas published a video showing his body with the claim that he had been killed by IDF forces. Related articles: Smotrich: Bringing hostages home isn't top priority Israel weighing re-arrest of terrorists freed in previous deals These hostage videos are not a message — they’re manipulation 'We can't bring everyone back - that's a political spin' His aunt, Meirav Barkai, said that on the morning of October 7, Sahar and his brother Idan were at their mother's home in Be'eri, and entered the home's bomb shelter when the sirens sounded and the fire began. "But they did not manage to close the door, so they used the closet. The terrorists hurled three grenades into the bomb shelter. Idan was hit and Sahar treated him," she said. "When the house began to burn and the flames grew higher, they decided to jump out. Idan jumped out first, and apparently, he was shot right near there and murdered. Sahar was behind him."