The Israeli forces mistakenly killed three hostages during a battle with militants in Gaza and confirmed that an investigation into the incident will be “full transparent.”
A statement from the military said that during an intense battle in Gaza it “identified three Israeli hostages as a threat.”
The hostages were reportedly kidnapped on 7 October during a sudden Hamas attack. The names of the deceased are also known: Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz abducted from Kibbutz Kfar and Samer Talalka was taken from Kibbutz Nir Am.
“Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the death of three of our dear sons who were kidnapped,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “My heart goes out to the grieving families in their difficult time.”
Heavy fighting has been taking place between Israel and Hamas in recent days; moreover, on Wednesday Israel announced its heaviest combat losses ever, with 10 soldiers killed in 24 hours. Some 19,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its counter-offensive, with thousands more believed to be buried under rubble, according to Gaza health authorities.
Over 100 hostages remain in Gaza, but some of them have been declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.
