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In a serious revelation, an Israeli military investigation report released on Thursday disclosed that Israeli soldiers ignored cries for “help” when they stormed a Gaza building, where three hostages were later killed by mistake. The soldiers reportedly heard shouts of “hostages” in Hebrew on December 10 but interpreted it as a “terrorist deception attempt” by Hamas operatives, according to the probe, news agency AFP reported.
The building in the Gaza City district of Shejaiya was believed to be rigged with explosives, leading the soldiers to exit and subsequently kill five Hamas operatives attempting to escape.
According to AFP, the investigation revealed that the hostages likely fled the building on December 15 and were shot by Israeli soldiers after being mistakenly identified as a threat. Two hostages were killed instantly, while the third fled, leading soldiers to hold fire in an attempt to identify him.
Despite cries for help and pleas like “they’re shooting at me,” the surviving hostage was shot dead by two soldiers who reportedly did not hear the order due to noise from a nearby tank. Notably, all three hostages were shirtless, and one was carrying a white flag, AFP reported.
On December 14, an army drone identified distress signals such as “SOS” and “help, three hostages” on a building close to where the fatal shooting occurred.
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‘Broke The Whole Nation’s Heart’: Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu On Hostage Shooting
Israeli Army Chief Herzi Halevi admitted failure in the mission to rescue the hostages, stating in a released statement, “The three fatalities could have been prevented.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed sorrow, stating that the incident “broke my heart” and “broke the whole nation’s heart.” The three hostages were identified as Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer El-Talalqa, all in their twenties, AFP reported.
The tragic killings have triggered protests in Tel Aviv, where demonstrators are demanding a new plan to rescue the remaining 129 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. The hostages were taken during Hamas’s October 7 attacks in Israel, resulting in approximately 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Vowing to dismantle Hamas and retrieve the hostages, Israel initiated a massive military offensive against the Palestinian Islamist movement, causing widespread destruction in Gaza. The territory’s Hamas government claims that the war has claimed the lives of at least 21,320 people, mostly women and children.
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