Photo: Times of Israel
Israel said it killed three Gaza hostages after mistaking them for a threat, expressing "deep remorse" for the "tragic incident" that sparked protests in Tel Aviv. The incident is "under review", a military spokesperson said on Friday (16 December).
The military said the hostages were killed during combat with fighters in Gaza and expressed condolences to the families, promising "full transparency" in the investigation.
According to a military statement, the military "identified three Israeli hostages as a threat" during an intense battle in Gaza. "As a result, the troops fired toward them and they were killed."
The military named the dead hostages as Yotam Haim who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar, and Samer Talalka, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Am and Alon Shamriz who was taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. All were abducted by Hamas on 7 Oct, it said.
The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, which represents the families of hostages, expressed its condolences and confirmed the names of the three hostages.
Messenger/Sun Yath
