Israeli soldiers mistakenly shot and killed three hostages during fighting in the city of Shejaya in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by the press service of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The IDF clarifies that the military mistook those who escaped captivity as “posing a threat.” The bodies of the victims have already been transported to Israeli territory. The names of two victims are known: Yotam Chaim, abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Samer Talalka, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir-Am. The name of the third man is being withheld at the request of his relatives.
“The IDF immediately began investigating the incident. <…> Lessons were learned from the incident and were passed on to all members of the Israeli army,” the IDF said in a statement.
On October 7, Hamas militants broke through from the Gaza Strip into Israel. As a result of the attack on cities and communes in the south of the country, about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were captured. Three weeks later, the Israel Defense Forces began a ground operation in the Palestinian enclave.
At the end of November, the parties announced a truce, during which Hamas released 105 people, and Israel released more than two hundred Palestinian prisoners from prison.