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©(Ahmad Gharabli, AFP)
Three Israeli hostages in Gaza were mistakenly killed by the Israeli Army during an operation in a neighborhood in Gaza City, leading to national mourning, protests, and calls for the release of the remaining hostages.
Israel has been in a state of shock since Friday after the deaths of three of its hostages in Gaza, killed when troops mistakenly perceived them as a threat. The military expressed remorse over the “tragic” incident, sparking protests in Tel Aviv. The Israeli Army identified the victims as Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer El-Talalqa, all in their twenties, shot during operations in a neighborhood of Gaza City.
The trio were among an estimated 240 people taken hostage during Hamas's October 7 raids into Israel.
“During combat in Shejaiya, the Israeli Army mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat and, as a result, fired toward them, causing their deaths,” stated Israeli Army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
Their bodies were transferred to Israel and, upon examination, were confirmed as being Haim, a 28-year-old heavy metal drummer, 25-year-old Bedouin man El-Talalqa, and Shamriz, aged 26.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described their deaths as an “unbearable tragedy.” “All of Israel is grieving their loss,” he said, while the White House called the incident a “tragic mistake.”
As news of the incident spread late Friday, hundreds of people gathered at Israel's Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, calling on Netanyahu's government to secure the release of 129 hostages still being held in Gaza.
The demonstrators waved Israeli flags and brandished placards. “Every day, a hostage dies,” read one message. “I am dying of fear,” said Merav Svirsky, sister of Hamas-held hostage Itay Svirsky. “We demand a deal now.”
Hostage families protest at the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Tel Aviv, on December 15, 2023. (Ahmad Gharabli, AFP) In November, a short-lived truce saw more than 100 hostages freed in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. That deal has since lapsed, and fighting has resumed.
However, the hostages' deaths have heightened the already fierce scrutiny of how Israel is conducting its ground and air assault in Gaza. In retaliation for the October attacks, Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and bring the hostages home. But his tactics have brought searing criticism from neighboring Muslim states and deep unease among allies in Europe, the United States, and beyond.
News platform Axios reported that David Barnea, the director of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, was due to meet this weekend in an unspecified location in Europe with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Axios said the officials would discuss resuming negotiations for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
Israel has been in a state of shock since Friday after the deaths of three of its hostages in Gaza, killed when troops mistakenly perceived them as a threat. The military expressed remorse over the “tragic” incident, sparking protests in Tel Aviv. The Israeli Army identified the victims as Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer El-Talalqa, all in their twenties, shot during operations in a neighborhood of Gaza City.
The trio were among an estimated 240 people taken hostage during Hamas's October 7 raids into Israel.
“During combat in Shejaiya, the Israeli Army mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat and, as a result, fired toward them, causing their deaths,” stated Israeli Army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
Their bodies were transferred to Israel and, upon examination, were confirmed as being Haim, a 28-year-old heavy metal drummer, 25-year-old Bedouin man El-Talalqa, and Shamriz, aged 26.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described their deaths as an “unbearable tragedy.” “All of Israel is grieving their loss,” he said, while the White House called the incident a “tragic mistake.”
As news of the incident spread late Friday, hundreds of people gathered at Israel's Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, calling on Netanyahu's government to secure the release of 129 hostages still being held in Gaza.
The demonstrators waved Israeli flags and brandished placards. “Every day, a hostage dies,” read one message. “I am dying of fear,” said Merav Svirsky, sister of Hamas-held hostage Itay Svirsky. “We demand a deal now.”
Hostage families protest at the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Tel Aviv, on December 15, 2023. (Ahmad Gharabli, AFP) In November, a short-lived truce saw more than 100 hostages freed in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. That deal has since lapsed, and fighting has resumed.
However, the hostages' deaths have heightened the already fierce scrutiny of how Israel is conducting its ground and air assault in Gaza. In retaliation for the October attacks, Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and bring the hostages home. But his tactics have brought searing criticism from neighboring Muslim states and deep unease among allies in Europe, the United States, and beyond.
News platform Axios reported that David Barnea, the director of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, was due to meet this weekend in an unspecified location in Europe with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Axios said the officials would discuss resuming negotiations for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
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