After the tragic shooting in which three hostages were killed, the Chief of General Staff took a stand and took responsibility.
Tel Aviv – A dramatic incident occurred in Shejaiya on Friday when the Israeli military accidentally killed three hostages. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out on Friday, calling the incident an “unbearable tragedy.” On Saturday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of General Staff Herzi Halewi released an emotional video.
Hostages shot: military feels deep sadness
“There is nothing the IDF soldiers and their commanders in the Gaza Strip want more than to rescue abductees alive. We were unable to do this in this case. “We feel the deep sadness of the families over the death of the abductees,” he says. “The IDF and I as its commander bear responsibility for what happened, and we will do everything we can to prevent such cases from happening again in the future fighting.”
The three men, aged between 25 and 28, appeared shirtless and with a white cloth as a flag “a few dozen meters” in front of a military position. A soldier felt threatened, which is why he decided to attack. “The hostages were shot contrary to instructions to open fire. It is forbidden to shoot at those who raise a white flag,” Halewi clarifies.
Soldiers stopped firing at hostage
Two of the hostages were killed outright. The third man, wounded, sought shelter in the house from which he had come. The fire was stopped by a commander's order. But when the man stepped back outside, he was shot at again.
The event sparked protests in Tel-Aviv. According to the latest Israeli reports, 129 hostages are still in the hands of Hamas. Their relatives are calling on Israel to stop fighting.
The War in Israel has been holding since an attack Hamas on October 7th. “In that moment, the complexity of our just war in Gaza was revealed. We went into battle to crush the enemy across the border and bring those kidnapped home. Without a determined fight, we will not be able to bring back the abductees and we will not be able to safely return the settlements. We must continue the fight energetically without losing sight of our goals,” says Halewi.
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