The Israeli army said Saturday that the hostages killed by its soldiers in Gaza were waving a white flag and speaking in Hebrew in an area where troops are being ambushed, according to initial elements of the investigation.
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The three hostages, aged 25 to 28, appeared “a few dozen meters from one of our positions” in Gaza City's Choujaiya district, a military official told reporters.
“One of the soldiers saw them as they appeared. They don't wear t-shirts and have a stick with a white cloth on it. The soldier feels threatened and shoots, explaining that they are terrorists. Two (hostages) are killed,” this source added.
“Immediately another was injured and stormed into the building,” this source added, specifying that the soldiers then “heard a cry for help in Hebrew.”
“The battalion commander orders to stop the shooting, but volleys are fired again towards the third person and he dies,” the military official continued, adding that the incident violated “our code of conduct.”
Shortly after the deaths of the three hostages were announced on Friday evening, families and supporters demonstrated in Tel Aviv, where they also planned to meet on Saturday, to demand an immediate agreement to release the hostages.
The army reported a “tragic event” that occurred in an area of the Gaza Strip where soldiers faced “great pressure,” “intense fighting,” and “numerous ambushes.”
According to the official, a building with “SOS” written on it is located “a few hundred meters” from the crime scene and the army is investigating to find out “if there is a connection to the hostages.”
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 vowed to “destroy” Hamas, which is in power in Gaza, and its attacks killed 18,800 people, according to authorities in the Palestinian Islamist movement.