Israel Mistakenly Kills 3 Hostages, Netanyahu Regrets

As Israel-Hamas conflict continues, the Israeli troops had mistakenly shot and killed three Israeli hostages on Saturday. In a statement on X (previously Twitter), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that they mistook the Israeli hostages as a “threat” and opened fire, which killed them.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret over the tragic incident. He called the accidental killing an “unbearable tragedy.” 

A massive protest started in Kaplan Junction, a major thoroughfare in central Tel Aviv, Israel, after the mistaken killing of the Israeli hostages. Crowd also gathered at IDF’s Kirya military headquarters, urging the Israeli government to secure a hostage deal. The crowd said, “There is no victory until every last hostage is released!” 

The three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces were kidnapped by Hamas fighters during their October 7 attack. 

Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war started after Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7. Israeli forces said that the war killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Hamas also kidnapped 250 people, mostly women and children. Vowing to destroy Hamas and bring home hostages, Israel launched a massive offensive against the Gaza Strip.

Hamas said that the Israeli offensive killed at least 18,800 people, mostly women and children. The Israel-Hamas conflict has caused humanitarian catastrophe in the region. 

Catherine Russell, who currently serves as Executive Director of UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), said, “Many children have been killed or injured.” 

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that Hamas killed 40 small babies. They said, “Women, children and toddlers as well as elderly were brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action.”

Israel bombed the Gaza Strip on Monday after Hamas fighters warned that no Israeli hostages would leave Gaza alive unless their demands for prisoner releases were met. Israeli strikes hit Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip. A fierce fighting took place between Hamas fighters and Israeli forces.