The Israeli army “failed to fulfill its mission” of rescuing three hostages who accidentally died, according to a new report
The Israeli army “failed to fulfill its mission” to rescue three hostages shot dead by its troops in Gaza this month, its chief of staff said Thursday as the army released the results of an investigation.
The findings concluded that Israeli leadership had intelligence that there were hostages in the area and “even took measures to prevent attacks on locations suspected of holding hostages,” it said in the report.
However, the investigation also concluded that Israeli forces on the ground were not “sufficiently aware” that hostages might approach them or that troops might encounter hostages during operations not specifically aimed at freeing them.
The Israeli army “failed to fulfill its mission” to rescue three hostages accidentally killed by its troops in Gaza this month, its chief of staff said Thursday as the army released the results of an investigation.
The findings concluded that Israeli leadership had intelligence that there were hostages in the area and “even took measures to prevent attacks on locations suspected of holding hostages,” it said in the report.
However, the investigation also concluded that Israeli forces on the ground were not “sufficiently aware” that hostages might approach them or that troops might encounter hostages during operations not specifically aimed at freeing them.
Yotam Haim, Alon Shimriz and Samer Talalka were kidnapped by Hamas militants during their attack on Israel on October 7. The three men were killed on December 15 during an IDF operation around the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City.
According to the findings, that day an Israeli soldier shot three hostages “identified as a threat,” killing two of them. The third hostage fled, and the battalion commander gave the order not to fire to identify the third person.
After the commander heard someone shouting “Help” in Hebrew, he asked the person to approach the soldiers; The hostage exited a building and walked toward the troops, the report said. According to the investigation, two soldiers did not listen to the commander's order not to fire “due to the noise of a nearby tank” and fatally shot the third hostage.
The investigation also found that “the hostages went shirtless and one of them waved a white flag and stood at a point of limited visibility relative to the position of the soldier who fired the shot.”
Israeli Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said the shooting “could have been avoided” but concluded that “there was no malice in the incident and the soldiers took the correct actions based on their best understanding of the incident at the time.” “
In the days before the killing of the three hostages, Israeli soldiers heard cries for help in Hebrew coming from a building while fighting Hamas gunmen, according to the report. The soldiers thought it was an attempt to set a trap for them, the report said.
A camera mounted on a military dog during the fight also captured the voices of the hostages calling for help. That same day, a note reading “Help” in Hebrew was found at the exit of a tunnel, the report said, which Israeli soldiers interpreted as an attempt by Hamas to lure them out.
On December 14, Israeli drone footage identified signs reading “SOS” and “Help, 3 hostages” on a building 200 meters from where the three hostages died the next day, the report said.
The report said the Israeli military suspected a trap after seeing blue barrels nearby, which the report said are often found in tampered areas.
Halevi concluded that the hostages' deaths should not have occurred and were disproportionate to the risk of the situation.
“Standard operating procedures are necessary, and they are also intended to protect us so that we do not kill our own people. They determine and influence fateful decisions, as happened in this case,” he said.