Three hostages shot dead by IDF troops in Northern Gaza Shejaiya neighborhood Friday were shirtless, and one of them was carrying a stick with a makeshift white flag, the IDF said Saturday after an initial probe into the tragic incident.
All 3 hostages managed to escape Hamas captivity before they were mistakenly shot dead by troops on Friday.
Two of the victims were initially named – Yotam Haim, 28, who was abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Samer Fouad Talalka, 22, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Am on October 7.
The third victim mistakenly killed was later identified as Alon Lulu Shamriz, 26, a computer engineering student, was abducted from his Kibbutz Kfar Aza home on October 7.
According to the initial probe, the incident began
after a soldier from Bislamach Brigade’s 17th Battalion saw three individuals exiting a building tens of metres from Israeli forces in the area of Shejaiya.
The soldier shouted “terrorists!” to the other forces, initiating fire at the men. Two of the hostages hit immediately and fell on the ground, while the third one, who was hit and wounded, fled back into the building from which he came.
At that stage, the commander of the battalion went outside and called on the forces to stop shooting.
Later the third man came out of the building to which he had fled, and despite pleas in Hebrew, another soldier opened fire at him, killing him.
The battalion commander then realized that the appearance of the third man was unusual, and he was revealed to be an Israeli hostage. The three bodies were taken to Israel for identification.
The soldier who opened fire upon identifying the three men did so against protocols, as did the soldier who killed the third man, according to the officer.
The scenario of hostages escaping captivity was taken into account by IDF.
Immediately following the incident, the IDF sent new protocols to ground troops for the possibility of more hostages managing to flee captivity.
The military said that the soldiers who had mistakenly killed the hostages were receiving psychological care.
The initial probe was completed by the head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and was also presented to the families of killed hostages Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Lulu Shamriz.
