The Israeli Defence Forces, on Friday announced that three hostages were errornously killed during a ground operation in the Gaza Strip
According to the IDF spokeswoman, Daniel Hagari, who made the announcement on Friday, the hostages were perceived “as a threat” during a ground operation in Shejaiya, in northern Gaza.
Hagari said Israeli troops “fired toward them and they were killed.”
The three hostages—two of whom were identified as Yotam Haim and Samer Talalka (the third hostage’s name was not released at the request of his family)—were then taken into Israel for “examination,” when Hagari said it was “confirmed that they were three Israeli hostages.”
Their killings occur two weeks after Israel and Hamas started fighting again inside Palestinian territory following a seven-day cease-fire during which Hamas freed over 100 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.
