Israel mourns 3 Gaza hostages
IDF APOLOGISES FOR MISTAKENLY KILLING ISRAELIS; PROTESTS ERUPT
>> GAZA: Israel yesterday mourned the deaths of three Gaza hostages killed when troops mistook them for a threat, with the military expressing remorse over a “tragic” incident that sparked protests in Tel Aviv.
The Israeli army said Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samer El-Talalqa — all aged in their twenties — were shot during operations in a neighbourhood of Gaza City.
The trio were among an estimated 240 people taken hostage during Hamas’s Oct 7 raids into Israel, which also killed an estimated 1,200 people.
“During combat in Shejaiya, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat and as a result, fired toward them and the hostages were killed,” Israel Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
“The IDF expresses deep sorrow regarding this disaster and shares in the grief of the families.”
Their bodies were transferred to Israel, and on 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 defence in Tel Aviv to call on Mr Netanyahu’s government to secure the release of 129 hostages still being held in Hamas-ruled territory.
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.” 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.
But the hostages’ deaths have heightened already fierce scrutiny of how Israel is conducting its ground and air assault in Gaza.
In retaliation for the October attacks, Mr Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and bring the hostages home.
But his tactics have brought searing criticism from neighbouring Muslim states, and deep unease among allies in Europe, the United States and beyond.
With Hamas authorities claiming the war has now killed 18,800 people, the White House, which provides billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, voiced growing concern over civilian casualties.
“I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives — not stop going after Hamas, but be more careful,” said US President Joe Biden.
Mr Biden’s top security advisor Jake Sullivan was visiting Israel and the West Bank to drive that message home.
“We do not believe that it makes sense for Israel, or is right for Israel, to...reoccupy Gaza over the long term,” Mr Sullivan said after meeting Israeli leaders.
News platform Axios reported that the director of Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, David Barnea, 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.
In the Gaza Strip, fierce fighting continued, with Hamas claiming they had blown up a house containing Israeli soldiers in the southern city of Khan Yunis.
In the face of growing international pressure, Israel announced a “temporary measure” allowing aid to be delivered directly to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
Since the war began, a trickle of aid has squeezed into Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
Aid agencies have said it is enough to help the 1.9 million Gazans displaced by the war.
US National Security Advisor Sullivan said reopening Kerem Shalom was a “significant step”.