Israeli defense minister, IDF chief take responsibility for tragic death of three Israeli hostages in Gaza, express 'deep remorse'

Despite tragedy, leaders reject calls for ceasefire, ‘fighting for our existence’

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Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi announced that they accept responsibility for the tragic shooting and killing of three Israeli hostages in the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza on Friday.

The three hostages had escaped their captors and were approaching IDF soldiers when they were shot and killed.

According to reports, the three men had removed their shirts and one was waving a white cloth. They even shouted “Help!” in Hebrew. Despite these attempts to demonstrate a lack of threat, an IDF sniper shot two of the hostages. He allegedly shouted: “Terrorists” while the third hostage ran into the building.

That hostage repeated his call in Hebrew, “Help!” The soldiers then called for him to exit the building. When he exited, he was shot by another soldier.

The IDF took the unusual step of releasing the probe results almost immediately and with very little censoring. This was a first in this Gaza conflict.

The soldiers involved said they suspected the men were Hamas terrorists attempting to lure them into an ambush.

IDF Chief Halevi said: “The IDF, and I as its commander, are responsible for what happened, and we will do everything to prevent the recurrence of such cases in the continuation of the fighting.”

Halevi also noted that the soldiers who shot the hostages did so despite regulations prohibiting the shooting of unarmed persons. He said the hostages did everything correctly.

“The three hostages did everything so that we would understand,” Halevi stated. “They moved without shirts so that we would not suspect them of carrying a bomb on their bodies, and held a white cloth so that we would understand.”

Halevi reiterated the centrality of returning the hostages in the battle against Hamas.

Halevi said: “The IDF expresses deep remorse over the tragic incident and sends the families its heartfelt condolences. Our national mission is to locate the missing and return all the hostages home.”

Israel Defense Forces explained that the situation in Shejaiya is very complex.

IDF troops in the area had discovered graffiti in English (SOS) and writing in Hebrew a few days before on a building that read: “Help” and “Abducted.” However, the soldiers did not investigate the building with the graffiti out of fear that the building was booby-trapped. Another building in the area had been lined with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Halevi noted that Hamas fighters routinely wear civilian clothes.

Gallant echoed Halevi’s comments.

“As Minister of Defense, I bear responsibility for everything that takes place in the defense establishment, for everything that takes place during this war – both for the achievements and the prices [we pay], and for the grave mistakes,” he said, adding that the deaths of the hostages “took place as a result of significant errors.”

“You must understand the circumstances and the environment in which our soldiers are operating,” Gallant explained, as he described several examples of booby traps that soldiers had encountered in recent days.

“Sometimes tapes are played with the sounds of an infant crying, to [lure] soldiers into apartments and then detonate explosives. These are events that have taken place and that continue to take place,” he stated.

Gallant spoke with the families of the hostages who were killed by the friendly fire by phone.

“I heard their pain – these were charged, painful conversations. They were difficult first and foremost for the families, but also difficult for me, personally,” he said.

Both Gallant and Halevi said the IDF has briefed soldiers on proper protocols, including the possibility of encountering hostages fleeing an active combat area.

However, Gallant, Halevi, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a ceasefire.

“We are fighting for our existence, and we have to continue until victory,” Netanyahu said.

The Hamas terror group has said it would not release any more of the remaining hostages unless Israel declares a permanent ceasefire, which the War Cabinet is unwilling to do.