The three Israelis held by Hamas were shot and killed after an Israeli soldier misidentified them as a threat as they exited a building in Gaza, according to a preliminary report by Israel’s military.
An investigation into the killing of three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza has found that the captives were shirtless and waving a white flag as Israel soldiers fired on them.
The preliminary report Saturday by the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, said the hostages had managed to evade their captors in the northern Gaza neighborhood of Shijaiyah before they were “mistakenly identified” as they exited a building on Friday. They were then shot by an Israeli soldier.
Two were killed immediately and another was wounded and ran back into the building, an Israeli official said in a briefing on Saturday. Soldiers then heard a cry for help in Hebrew. The soldier’s battalion commander ordered the firing to stop. The third hostage later died of his wounds.
