Israeli soldiers accidentally shot and killed three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza, who were wrongly identified as a threat, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported.
“During the fighting in Shejaiya (in northern Gaza), the IDF mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat. As a result, the soldiers shot at them and they died,” said Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the forces, at a press conference this Friday.
“During searches and checks in the area where the incident occurred, suspicions arose about the identity of the deceased,” Hagari added. “Their bodies were transferred to Israeli territory for evaluation, after which it was confirmed that they were three Israeli hostages.”
The hostages were identified as Yotam Haim, kidnapped from the Kfar Aza kibbutz by Hamas on October 7; Samer Talalka, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Am on the same day; and another male hostage, whose family asked that his name not be released.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his “deep pain” over what he called the “unbearable tragedy” of the deaths of the three hostages in Gaza.
He also said that “this is an unbearable tragedy. The entire State of Israel is in mourning this afternoon. My heart goes out to the families who are suffering during their time of immense pain. I would like to send strength to our brave soldiers who are focused on this mission sacred thing to return our hostages, even at the price of sacrificing their own lives.”
The IDF began reviewing the incident immediately, Hagari said.
According to the official, the IDF believes the three men escaped their captors or were “left behind” due to fighting in the area.
When asked if the three men raised their hands or shouted in Hebrew, Hagari responded that the military is still “reviewing the details” and promised “full transparency about all the details of this incident.”
Israel forces have fought Hamas fighters hand-to-hand over the past few days in locations across Gaza, including Shejaiya and Jabalya in the north, and further south in Khan Younis.
Hagari noted that the incident occurred “in an area where our troops have faced many terrorists in recent days, including today, and have engaged in heavy fighting.” He also said that Israeli soldiers had recently faced attacks in which fighters “tried to deceive our forces and shoot at them,” as well as unarmed “suicide bombers.”
Shortly after the hostages were mistakenly shot, Hagari said, Israeli forces clashed with a group of fighters in a nearby area.
Israel is still gathering data on the incident, according to the spokesperson. “Relevant lessons and instructions regarding the identification of hostages in combat zones have been immediately communicated to all IDF in Gaza,” he said.
“The IDF expresses its deep remorse for the tragic incident and sends its deepest condolences to the families. Our national mission is to locate the missing and return all hostages home,” he added.
Jonathan Conricus, another IDF spokesman, told CNN that Israeli soldiers are being instructed to “exercise extra caution” when encountering people in civilian clothes, following the incident.
Conricus added that many of the fighters who attacked IDF forces in Gaza “were in civilian clothes.”
Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, said his “heart is broken” by news of the shooting.
“I ask to hug the families: the entire people of Israel are crying alongside you,” Gantz said in a statement on X. “The pain that accompanies the campaign is now even greater due to this difficult incident,” he said.