‘Tragedy’: IDF chief and defence minister take responsibility for killing of three hostages
Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Shamriz were shot by IDF in Gaza despite approaching the soldiers shirtless, waving what looked like a white flag on a stick
Israel’s defence minister and the IDF chief both took responsibility for the mistaken killing of three Israeli hostages by IDF forces in Gaza on Friday.
The hostages, Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Shamriz, were shot by Israeli soldiers in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighbourhood, despite approaching the soldiers shirtless and with their hands in the air, waving what looked like a white flag on a stick.
According to a preliminary investigation by the IDF, the soldier who spotted them felt threatened and thought it might have been a Hamas trap, after which he opened fire and killed two of the hostages. The third managed to escape to a nearby building but where he was yelling for help in Hebrew, but the soldiers who entered the building also felt threatened and decided to open fire.
Only after the incident did they realise that they had shot hostages. The IDF concluded that the soldiers had acted against the army’s rules of engagement by opening fire on unarmed people, but the army chief Herzl Halevi said he was sure that the soldiers were “confident they were doing the right thing.”
Israel is investigating the killings of three hostages after they were accidentally killed by IDF soldiers. Relatives of hostages still held by Hamas – recognized as a terrorist group by several countries – gathered in Tel Aviv to demand action to bring their loved ones home. pic.twitter.com/XaLEw1Or6d
— DW News (@dwnews) December 17, 2023
“The IDF, and I as its commander, are responsible for what happened, and we will do everything to prevent the recurrence of such cases in the continuation of the fighting,” IDF chief of staff Herzl Halevi said.
Defence minister Yoav Gallant also took personal responsibility for the incident but said that the public must understand the circumstances and the environment in which IDF soldiers are operating.
“Sometimes tapes are played with the sounds of an infant crying, in order to [lure] soldiers into apartments and then detonate explosives. These are events that have taken place and that continue to take place,” Gallant said.
Halevi later addressed commanders and soldiers of the 99th Division in the Gaza Strip, telling them: “You see two people, they are with hands up and without shirts, take two seconds, and I want to tell you something just as important, and if it’s two Gazans with a white flag coming out to surrender why would we shoot at them? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. That’s not the IDF.
“I’m telling you whoever got confused here, even those who fought and now lay down their arms and raise their hands, we arrest them, we don’t shoot them. We get a lot of intelligence from the captives we have, we already have over a thousand. We don’t shoot them because the IDF doesn’t shoot a person who raises their hands. That’s strength, not weakness,” he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the tragedy: “Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the death of three of our hostages.”
Unlike Halevi and Gallant, Netanyahu did not take personal responsibility for the incident.
Shortly after the announcement on Friday, hundreds of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest against the government’s failure to bring back the remaining 128 hostages inside Gaza. The protesters demonstrated in front of the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, chanting “bring them home”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
