The brother of one of the three hostages accidentally killed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip accused those who “abandoned” him of also “murdering” him during his funeral on Sunday.
• Also read: There is anger among families in Israel after the deaths of three hostages
“You did everything right,” Ido Shamriz said, speaking to his brother Alon, 26, during his funeral in Shefayim, a kibbutz north of Tel Aviv.
He was kidnapped on October 7 and shot dead along with two other hostages as they called for help in Hebrew, waved a white flag and were shirtless for fear of being mistaken for Hamas men.
Since this mistake was announced in Gaza City on Friday, pressure from relatives of the hostages demanding a resumption of negotiations with Hamas has not eased.
AFP
Hundreds of people marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening before camping in front of the Defense Ministry headquarters to demand the return of their loved ones.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday he was “heartbroken” but wanted to “maintain military pressure” as Hamas made a ceasefire a prerequisite for any agreement.
The army said it regretted a “tragic event” that occurred in an area of the Gaza Strip where soldiers faced “great pressure,” “intense fighting” and “numerous ambushes.”
However, she spoke of a “violation of the rules of engagement” and an investigation was ongoing.
“You survived 70 days in hell,” Alon’s mother Dikla said during her eulogy. “One more moment and you would have been in my arms,” she said.
AFP
In Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israeli soil on October 7, about 250 people were taken hostage and about 1,140 people were killed, mostly civilians, according to authorities.
To date, 129 hostages are still being held in Gaza.
In retaliation, Israel promised to “destroy” Hamas, which is in power in Gaza. The attacks left 18,800 people dead, most of them women, children and teenagers, according to authorities in the Palestinian Islamist movement.