JERUSALEM (VINnews) — As more details of the incident in Sejaiya in which three hostages were killed while attempting to reach the IDF are released, it is clear that there was a disastrous mistake, apparently caused by ignoring rules of opening fire.
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The hostages, who had either managed to escape their captors or were abandoned by them during the fierce fighting in the Gaza neighborhood, were identified as:
Yotam Haim(28), a heavy metal player, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7.
– Samer Talalka(22), a Bedouin from Hura who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Am by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7.
– Alon Shamriz (26), a computer engineering student, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7.
The three allegedly left the building they were in while not wearing shirts and while one of them was carrying a white flag. They also cried “Hatzilu (help)” in Hebrew. Despite this, IDF soldiers in the area fired at them, despite not being in any immediate danger from the hostages.
It should be noted that terrorists have also cried Hatzilu in an attempt to lure IDF soldiers to enter houses but in this case the three were out in the open, unarmed and did not present a threat. One of the three who was injured managed to return to the house and cried Hatzilu. When he came out, he was also shot by the soldiers.
נאומי הערב לאזרחי ישראל >>
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אנחנו במלחמה על קיומנו.במלחמה זו חייבים להמשיך עד לניצחון, על אף הלחצים הבינלאומיים וגם על אף המחיר הכבד מנשוא שהמלחמה גובה מאיתנו בנפול בנינו ובנותינו היקרים. מדינת ישראל אבלה על מותם הטראגי של שלושה מחטופינו אלון שמריז, סאמר טלאלקה ויותם חיים.… pic.twitter.com/gJkkVQqFJj
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) December 16, 2023
“The IDF began reviewing the incident immediately. 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 Spokesperson’s Unit said in response to the tragic incident.
“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,” it added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said following the incident, “Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the death of three of our hostages, including Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samer Fouad Talalka.”
“This is an unbearable tragedy and all of Israel is grieving their loss this evening. My heart goes out to the bereaved families at this difficult time.”
This incident and that of Yuval Castleman requires serious examination. We must demand answers. What are the IDF protocols? Why aren’t they being adhered to? And once we are at how in heavens name do troops get away with posting social media videos of them trashing Palestinian shops and laughing while blowing up mosques? Where is the military discipline?
We must support the valiant fight of the IDF against Hamas but we must not be blind stooges. We must demand accountability and that those that take actions that harm Israel’s international standing be held accountable.
Hamas set them up. If they were dressed as terrorists (they were — shirtless and holding a white flag), then the soldiers did not recognize them as Jews. I do not blame them. A terrible event, and a wake-up call that Jews have to do our mitzvos and davening better. I know I’ve slipped in my intensity. This is instant feedback. I am so sorry for their families, and for the soldiers who pulled the trigger. Very sad.
100% responsibility of terrorist kidnappers! Destroy hamas now!
Sometimes soldiers make mistakes.
A real kick in the gut. What a terrible tragedy on so many levels.. The one responsible is hamas for putting them in this situation.
1 question. How did they know that the Israelis were asking the hamas to go out shirtless?
From reading the post I am certain that none of the writers are combat veterans or even have served in the military or law enforcement. I have served both as a combat veteran in Vietnam and as a deputey sheriff. These things happen in combat, unfortunetly they are unavaiodable even in the best of circumstances. In most instances a soldier has a split second to make a determination, his life depends upon that decision. Combat is unbeliveablity stressfull even to those of us who have been highly trained. While I’m not privy to all the facts I can say with alacrity, that these IDF chayalim were under intense stress & did not know if they were dealing with friend or foe which required them to make a decision to fire or not. As terrible as it is I can not fault them. I recall many instances when we went into a village & what appeared to be friendly vietnamese were in all actuallity Viet Cong who proceeded to open fire. Please do not condem these brave chayalim until you have been there, done that & SURVIVED to get the T-Shirt. I thank HaShem each & every day that I survived, for whithout my Yiddishkeit I would never have made it.
Not sure why my comment was deleted.
If the idf is killing the hostages anyways, then stop sending the soldiers in to die.
Bomb Gaza only, don’t send in more young fathers to die!
These soldiers deserve nothing less than our full 100% SUPPORT! Nobody should have the audacity to judge them. They are fighting monsters not humans. These monsters use every trick in the book to murder and maim the Israeli soldiers.
While it’s a terrible horrific tragedy, the abmormal physical and mental conditions they’re fighting under should not – and CANNOT – be underestimated and therefore we CANNOT judge them. Period. End of story.
May hashem protect all of klal yisroel. And may we hear only good and happy news.
These soldiers deserve nothing less than our full 100% SUPPORT! Nobody should have the audacity to judge them. They are fighting monsters not humans. These monsters use every trick in the book to murder and maim the Israeli soldiers.
While it’s a terrible horrific tragedy, the abmormal physical and mental conditions they’re fighting under should not – and CANNOT – be underestimated and therefore we CANNOT judge them. Period. End of story.
May hashem protect all of klal yisroel. And may we hear only good and happy news in the future.
These soldiers deserve nothing less than our full 100% SUPPORT! Nobody should have the audacity to judge them. They are fighting monsters not humans. These monsters use every trick in the book to murder and maim the Israeli soldiers.
While it’s a terrible horrific tragedy, the abmormal physical and mental conditions they’re fighting under should not – and CANNOT – be underestimated and therefore we CANNOT judge them. Period. End of story.
May hashem protect all of klal yisroel. And may we hear only good and happy news in the future. Umien
The reality is shoot first ask questions laiter aka kill all male gazans is why they are dead! Pathetic!!!
I am lost for words, I will wait for the investigation outcome.
In a war you have to make split second decisions. If you are wrong, you are dead. So you always shade the decision so you stay alive. If you are not 100% absolutely sure, you shoot. At 99.99% sure, you shoot or else you will eventually end up dead. In war you face these situations all the time. These are things you can only understand if you have been in such a situation; war and close combat fighting.