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The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday released the results of an investigation into the deaths of three Israeli hostages who were shot dead by IDF soldiers in Gaza on December 15.
The investigation found that the IDF “failed in its mission to rescue the hostages” and that “the entire chain of command feels responsible” and “regrets this outcome.”
While the soldiers “took the appropriate actions based on their best understanding of the event at that moment,” the deaths “could have been prevented,” the IDF said.
The investigative report detailed what happened in the days leading up to the shooting, which outraged the Israeli public and increased scrutiny of Israel's military campaign. The United States has called on Israel to change its operations in the Gaza Strip, citing concerns about the extremely high civilian death toll.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Thursday that the results of the investigation had been shared with the families of hostages Yotam Haim, Samer Al-Talalka and Alon Shamriz.
On December 10, IDF soldiers raided several buildings in Shejaiya, a neighborhood in eastern Gaza City where heavy fighting has taken place (the IDF said last week it had gained operational control of Shejaiya). During the raid, IDF soldiers heard cries for help in Hebrew. They assumed it was a trap set up by Hamas militants trying to deceive them, the IDF report said. Such methods have already been used in the past, it said.
On December 14, the IDF said signs reading “SOS” and “Save three kidnapped people” were seen on a building about 200 meters from where the hostages were killed the next day.
During “fierce fighting” on December 15, an IDF soldier shot three “figures” he had identified as threats. According to the results of the investigation, two were killed and one fled. The soldier who fired the first shots “was standing in a position with limited visibility” of the hostages, the IDF said.
Commanders declared a ceasefire to try to identify the third person, who called for help minutes later. Another ceasefire was ordered and the person “came toward the force from a building,” the IDF said. But two soldiers, who had not heard the order to cease fire “due to the noise of a nearby tank,” shot the third person.
The hostages came out of the building shirtless and one was waving a white flag, the IDF said.
The Hamas fighters who held the three men were killed in the Dec. 10 raid, the IDF said, citing analysis that included footage from a dog-mounted camera sent into the building.
The three hostages apparently fled the building “on an escape mission” after the raid on December 10, the IDF said.
“The chief of staff concluded that the attacks on the hostages could have been prevented,” the investigation said. “At the same time, the Chief of Staff clarified that there was no malicious intent in the incident and that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the soldiers took the appropriate actions at the time.”
Hagari on Thursday praised the three hostages for “doing everything in their power to signal to us that they were in the area,” and said, “We are responsible for what happened.”
He pointed out that there were still 129 hostages in Gaza and said the IDF had a “duty to learn lessons from this as quickly as possible.”
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