The Israeli army acknowledged that it killed three hostages kidnapped in Gaza after “mistakenly identifying them as a threat.” The incident was condemned by the international community and generated a wave of indignation in the region.
The bodies have been returned to Israel, and two of the victims were identified as Yotam Haim, kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Samer Talalka, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Am, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
The Israeli military expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and promised to carry out a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett declared the incident “a tragedy” and promised that measures will be taken to prevent it from happening again.
The UN Security Council issued a statement expressing concern over the incident and calling on the parties involved to refrain from taking measures that could exacerbate the situation.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the incident a “war crime” and called for an independent investigation.
The incident highlighted tension in the region and sparked debate about the need to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. The international community urged both parties to resume negotiations and work together to achieve a lasting solution.
