Reports indicate that Israeli hostages were killed during a Friday operation conducted by the Israeli Army in Gaza. During the mission, individuals carrying white flags were observed by soldiers as they moved through the Shejaiya district. According to a preliminary inquiry from the army’s Southern Command, one of the hostages appeared to call for help in Hebrew before being shot, and it was noted that the soldiers involved did not adhere to basic rules of armed conflict.
According to information provided by Times of Israel and the Walla news portal, the incident began when a soldier identified three individuals leaving a building in Shejaiya as potentially hostile. The three were described as bare-chested, and one carried an improvised white flag. The soldier shouted a warning and immediately opened fire after shouting the word Terrorists, signaling colleagues as he feared a possible trap. Two hostages were killed instantly. When the third, wounded person returned to the building, pleas for assistance in Hebrew were heard. As the hostage attempted to leave again, a second soldier fired and killed him.
Initial evaluations suggest that the two soldiers acted contrary to established combat protocols. The inquiry notes that there were extenuating factors, including the fact that forces in Gaza had not encountered Palestinian civilians for days, and that civilians in the vicinity were frequently mistaken for Hamas militiamen present in the area. An officer with the Southern Command described the internal climate, emphasizing that even unarmed comrades could be at risk when confronted with such ambiguous situations.
Further findings from the Southern Command state that graffiti reading “Help, three hostages” was found on a wall near the scene, though authorities declined to confirm any direct link to the incident.
The initial report was completed on the preceding Saturday by the Head of the Southern Command, General Yaron Finkelman, and the Army Chief of Staff, General Herzi Halevi, who shared the documents with the families of the three deceased individuals, Yotams Haim, Samar Talalka, and Alon Lulu Shamriz.
This event arrives amid ongoing criticism of the Israeli Army after a separate episode during a Hamas offensive in Jerusalem, when a former police officer was shot despite being unarmed and identifying himself in Hebrew. Yuval Castleman, who helped prevent the attack, was killed by a soldier, an incident that has continued to spark debate about rules of engagement in high-tension operations.
At a public gathering, the spokesperson for the Hostage Families Forum, Haim Rubinstein, condemned the lack of explanations offered so far on how to prevent future disasters. He stated that families should not have to beg for basic protections that ought to be guaranteed, as reported from the scene. The sentiment was echoed by many relatives who described a sense of ongoing uncertainty and fear about daily life for those waiting for news from loved ones.
During a media conference in Tel Aviv, Ruby Chen, whose son Itay was among those held hostage, voiced a blunt warning about the ongoing situation. He described the experience as a form of Russian roulette and insisted that the peril cannot continue. The remarks were reported by Times of Israel and reflect a broader public concern about the pace and transparency of investigations into incidents involving hostages and armed forces.