Three Israelis kidnapped by the Hamas fundamentalist group 70 days ago were killed this Friday by soldiers who misidentified them during the fighting in the alleys of Shujaiya in the eastern part of Gaza City.
“I am asking to report harsh and painful news that occurred this Friday. During the fighting in Shujaiya, Tsahal forces mistakenly identified three kidnapped Israelis as a threat. As a result, they were shot and killed,” announced Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari who named the three victims: the musician Yotam Haim (28) and Alon Shamriz (28), kidnapped in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and Samer Talalka (24), a Bedouin from Hura who worked at Kibbutz Nir Am.
Hagari added that the Army began the investigation and “takes responsibility for what happened.” It is not yet known whether the three Israelis had managed to flee or were abandoned due to an attack.
“The tragic event occurred in a war zone where in recent days, including this Friday, soldiers have been fighting hard with terrorists,” he added about Shujaiya, one of the main strongholds of the armed wing of Hamas. According to Israeli military sources, Hamas had “unarmed terrorists who were performing surveillance” in the area during the fighting in which the kidnapped people were shot by mistake this Friday. In Shujaiya, ten Israeli officers and soldiers were killed in a Hamas ambush with explosives and a tunnel in a building last Tuesday. In recent days, at least 350 militiamen have died in fighting in that northern area of the Strip, according to these sources.
In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the mistaken death of the three Israeli civilians who were closer than ever to regaining freedom “is a tragedy that is difficult to bear. The entire State of Israel is in mourning tonight.” . “It is very painful for every Israeli. We must continue to be resilient and continue the operation for the hostages, our citizens and our soldiers,” added Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who yesterday assured that Israel “will continue the military operation until the group is eliminated.” terrorist Hamas and return all the abductees home.
Hours earlier, Israel announced the discovery of the bodies of three other Israelis who were in captivity: the Israeli-French civilian Elia Toledano (28 years old and kidnapped at the music festival near Kibbutz Reim as well as his girlfriend Mia Schehm who ended up being released) and soldiers Nik Beizer and Ron Sherman, both 19 years old. The latter’s father, the Argentine Alex Sherman, had expressed to EL MUNDO his hope of seeing him again, remembering his last words in his telephone message during the infiltration of the jihadist group into their base: “Bye mom. I love you very much. It’s “The end. They are here. It’s over.”
70 days after the massive Hamas attack on cities, kibbutzim and bases in southern Israel that provoked the largest Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, 129 people remain kidnapped, including almost 20 dead, while 118 were released ago. three weeks as part of the truce agreement that was not extended on December 1.
In an Israeli air strike this Friday in the southern area of Khan Yunis, Al Jazira cameraman Samir Abudaqa was killed and his partner, correspondent Wael Dahdouh, was wounded, as announced and condemned by the Qatari network. Dahdouh lost part of his family in a bombing three weeks ago.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar hope to reactivate negotiations for a new ceasefire in the devastating war between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The group of Ismail Haniya and Yahia Sinwar conditions any agreement on the cessation of Israeli bombings and ground incursions focused mainly on Shujaiya and Jabalia, in the north of the Gaza Strip, and Khan Yunis, in the south.