According to Israeli estimates, 112 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip. During fighting in the city there was a serious wrong decision that cost three of them their lives.
Tel Aviv/Gaza – Israeli soldiers accidentally killed three hostages during fighting in the Gaza Strip. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the armed forces mistakenly identified them as a threat and shot them during an operation in the Hamas stronghold of Shejaiya in the north of the sealed-off coastal strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called her death an “unbearable tragedy.” “The entire State of Israel is in mourning this evening. “My heart goes out to the grieving families in their difficult time of grief,” the Israeli head of government wrote on social media that evening. He expressed his condolences to the families.
He remembered “our three dear sons” who had previously been kidnapped by the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “Even on this difficult evening, we will tend to our wounds, learn the lessons and continue with utmost effort to bring all of our hostages home safely,” Netanyahu said.
It is unclear how the hostages ended up in the area
The serious incident occurred this morning. Hagari said it was 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.
Shortly after the incident, suspicions arose that the dead could have been hostages, said Hagari. The bodies were then brought to Israeli territory for closer examination. It was confirmed that there were three Israeli hostages.
“This is a sad and painful incident for all of us, and the army bears responsibility for everything that happened,” Hagari continued. The military immediately began investigating the incident. Hagari emphasized that Shejaiya is an “active combat area” in which there have been ongoing fighting in recent days. He expressed his condolences to the families of the hostages.
Washington calls deaths of three hostages “tragic”
The US government described the deaths of the three hostages as “heartbreaking” and “tragic”. “Of course, this is not an outcome that anyone wanted,” said National Security Council communications director John Kirby. He assumes that the Israelis will look closely at the incident to find out how it happened. However, the case is not suitable for making a general judgment about whether the Israeli military is able to act precisely in the Gaza Strip, Kirby said.
After talks with the Israeli leadership, the US government recently expressed the expectation that Israel would move from “high-intensity” military action in the Gaza Strip to “more targeted” military operations. However, Washington did not specify a time period for this. dpa
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