2023-12-15 19:59:13
Israeli soldiers accidentally killed three hostages kidnapped by Hamas during fighting in the Gaza Strip. The army spoke of a “painful incident” and asked the relatives for forgiveness.
Israeli soldiers accidentally killed three hostages in their fight against the militant Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They were “inadvertently identified as a threat” by the soldiers during fighting in Shejaiya in the north of the coastal strip, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on television. “The soldiers then shot at them and they were killed.”
The serious incident occurred on Friday morning. Hagari says it is still unclear how the three hostages ended up in the area of the fighting. However, after an initial reconstruction of the events, the military assumes that they either escaped their captors or were left behind intentionally.
“Army is responsible for everything”
The army identified two of those accidentally killed as Jotam Haim from Kibbutz Kfar Asa and Samer El-Talalka from Kibbutz Nir Am. The name of the third hostage who was killed will not be published at the request of his relatives. The bodies of those killed were brought to Israel.
“This is a sad and painful incident for all of us, and the army bears responsibility for everything that happened,” Hagari continued. According to him, there had been ongoing fighting in Shejaiya in the past few days. He expressed his condolences to the families of the hostages.
130 hostages apparently still in the hands of Hamas
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th. Fighters from the Palestinian organization, designated a terrorist organization by the US and EU, entered Israeli towns and villages and committed atrocities against civilians. According to Israeli information, around 1,140 people were killed and around 250 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli information, more than 130 of them are still in the hands of Hamas.
In response to the Hamas attack, the Israeli army began bombing targets in the Gaza Strip and launched a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 18,700 people have been killed so far.
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