Following the accidental killing of three hostages in northern Gaza by Israeli soldiers two weeks ago, the military has released new findings on the incident. The soldier who initially killed two of the hostages only… restricted view on the hostages, the Israeli army said on Thursday. In addition, two soldiers had the Order to cease fire not heard due to tank noise and later shot the third man.
According to the Army, a soldier initially fired “at three figures identified as threats,” killing two of them. The third person then fled into a building in the Hamas stronghold of Shejaiya. After around 15 minutes, the responsible Israeli commander Cries for help in Hebrew heard and asked the hostage to come out of the building and towards the soldiers. However, two soldiers did not hear the order to cease fire because of the noise from a tank nearby. According to the army, the soldiers therefore shot at the man and killed him. The information could not initially be independently verified.
According to the army, the three hostages were without outer clothing to show that they were not wearing explosive belts. One of the men waved a white flag. According to the new findings, based among other things on an analysis of aerial photographs, the soldier who killed two of them had only a limited view of the hostages from his position. This information could not initially be independently verified.
Soldiers had previously interpreted cries for help and written cries for help from the three hostages in Hebrew as attempts by Hamas to lure them into booby-trapped ambushes. The soldiers involved had experienced such attempts at deception before.
The soldiers also attacked the building in which the three men were being held because they suspected an ambush. Five terrorists were killed and the hostages escaped.
The army failed in its mission to rescue hostages in the case of the three men who were mistakenly killed. According to Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi, the attacks on them could have been prevented. It did however no intent given, he emphasized. The accidental killing of the hostages caused severe consternation and protests in Israel.
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