The Israeli military (IDF) has accidentally shot three Israeli hostages to death. This is according to spokesperson Daniel Hagari Jerusalem Post.
– This is a tragic event, the IDF bears responsibility, he says.
The three were wrongly identified as a threat in connection with fighting in northern Gaza.
– This is in an area where the soldiers encountered many terrorists, including suicide bombers, says Daniel Hagari
The remains of the dead were taken to Israeli soil for examination, and were later confirmed as Israeli hostages, Hagari said, according to CNN.
According to the IDF, the people were taken hostage on October 7 when Hamas carried out its attack on Israel.
– This is a tragic event, the IDF bears responsibility, says Hagari.
Asked how the hostages managed to escape from Hamas, Hagari says the military believes “the three escaped or were abandoned by the terrorists who held them captive”.
According to Hagari, the IDF is still working to “gather the information and clarify the details of the incident”. It also says, while the military is informing ground forces of new procedures for identifying hostages, to do “everything to avoid” something like this happening again.