Three Israeli hostages were killed in firing by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said the military on Saturday. The IDF said it assumed the hostages were “a threat” and fired at them during combat in Gaza’s Shejaiya district.
The three were among the people taken as hostages by Hamas terrorists during its surprise attack on Israel on October 7. Two of them have been identified as Yota Haim and Samer Talalka while the IDF said the family of the third deceased requested that his name not be broadcast.
Speaking on the incident, the military said, “The IDF emphasizes that this is an active combat zone in which ongoing fighting over the last few days has occurred. Immediate lessons from the event have been learned, which have been passed on to all IDF troops in the field. 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.”
The Israeli army’s chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said it was not clear if the hostages had escaped their captors or been abandoned, according to a report by The Associated Press news agency.
Recently, Israeli troops have been engaged in fierce battles against Hamas terrorists in Shijaiyah
