Hamas says it thwarted Israeli special operation to free imprisoned soldier

The armed wing of Hamas said it thwarted an Israeli special operation to free a soldier held by the group in Gaza on Friday morning. 

In a communique published on Telegram, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades said Palestinian fighters discovered special Israeli forces advancing towards the location of one of the captives at dawn. 

Palestinian fighters clashed with the Israeli force, killing and wounding some of the soldiers, the group said. 

Fighter jets then launched air strikes at the location of the incident, leading to the death of the imprisoned soldier, whom the group named Saar Baruch, 25. 

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. 

However, the Israeli Ynet news site reported earlier that a combat helicopter "mistakenly" killed an Israeli soldier after hitting a building with troops inside. 

It was not clear if the two incidents are connected.  

Middle East Eye could not independently verify either claim.