Israeli soldiers mistakenly identified the hostages as a threat and shot them dead in an operation against a battalion of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Shejaiya district of Gaza City.
Shortly after this incident, it was suspected that those killed could be hostages taken by “Hamas”. The bodies were taken to Israeli territory for closer examination, which confirmed that they were three Israeli hostages.
“This is a tragic incident, the army bears full responsibility,” Hagari said. The Army has immediately launched an investigation into the incident.
Hagari stressed that Shejaiya is an “active battle zone” where fighting has taken place in recent days, and expressed his condolences to the families of those hostages.
The incident caused widespread protests – already on Friday evening, people took to the streets. The crowd demanded that the Israeli government do more and get the rest of the hostages released immediately. Protesters held signs that read “No victory without the return of the hostages.”
The representative of the Israel Defense Forces, Richard Hecht, commented to the British broadcasting company BBC that the killing of the three hostages was a tragic event and a mistake. Opening fire in this case was against the rules of engagement.
There is a version that the three men captured in “Hama” were either abandoned or escaped. One of the soldiers of the defense forces saw the hostages coming out of the building, holding a stick with a white cloth. The soldier felt threatened and opened fire, thinking they were terrorists.
CONTEXT:
Terrorists of the Palestinian Islamist group “Hamas” launched a surprise attack from the Gaza Strip on the morning of October 7. About 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed in the massacre. Hamas militants also captured more than 240 people and took them to the Gaza Strip.
Israel declared martial law in the country and launched extensive air and artillery strikes against Hamas targets in the group’s controlled Gaza Strip. Ground forces are also involved in the fighting. For several weeks, Israel also enforced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off electricity and water supplies to the territory and limiting humanitarian aid deliveries.
At least 1.1 million people have been internally displaced in the Gaza Strip since early October. A large number have gone to the south of the territory, many are seeking refuge in hospitals. During the conflict, at least 100 UN staff were also killed, as well as around 50 journalists.
Israel says fighting in the Gaza Strip will continue until the Hamas terrorist group is completely destroyed, and blames Hamas for hiding behind a shield of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the international community has repeatedly called on Israel to avoid civilian casualties as much as possible and to introduce humanitarian pauses in the Gaza Strip.
On November 22, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire for a few days, during which they exchanged hostages and prisoners. As part of the agreement, women, children and young people, as well as the elderly, were released. Hamas released 110 captives, including 80 Israelis, while Israel released 240 Palestinians from prison.
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2023-12-16 15:41:59
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