Israel admits killing three hostages by mistake

‘High probability’ they died in airstrike on tunnel complex that took out Hamas commander

Israel’s military has admitted there was “a high probability” that three hostages died as a result of an airstrike in Gaza, 10 months after they were killed.
The families of soldiers Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, both 19, and civilian Elia Toledano, 28, were informed that IDF fire was responsible for their deaths.
A joint investigation was conducted by officers of the Israeli Defense Forces’ intelligence directorate, as well as operational commanders from the Israeli air force, and officers from the Headquarters of the Hostages and Missing Persons.
All three hostages were abducted on October 7, when more than 250 were taken captive and about 1,100 mostly civilians murdered by Hamas terrorists.
The IDF report stated there was “a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike during the elimination of the Hamas northern brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10 2023”.
However, it added that “it is not possible to definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths”.
The investigation indicated that the three hostages were held in the tunnel complex in Jabalia from which Ghandour operated. The IDF said that at the time of the strike it did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound.
“Furthermore, there was information suggesting that they were located elsewhere, and thus the area was not designated as one with suspected presence of hostages,” the investigation said, reiterating that throughout the war, the IDF has not struck areas where there are indications or suspicions of the presence of hostages.
The bodies were recovered from Gaza on Dec 14 and brought back to Israel for burial.
“The IDF continues, even at this moment, to exert all efforts to fulfil the paramount national mission of bringing all of the hostages home,” the report concluded.
In December, the IDF accidentally shot and killed three hostages, Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samer Al-Talalka, fearing they were Hamas operatives posing as hostages. They went public on the tragedy just hours after it happened.
More recently, in February, the IDF also said it was likely an airstrike had killed hostage Yossi Sharabi, though as his body had not been recovered, said the chances he had been killed by Hamas could not be ruled out.