TEL AVIV/GAZA (dpa-AFX) – Israeli soldiers accidentally killed three hostages during fighting in the Gaza Strip. The armed forces mistakenly identified them as a threat and shot at them during an operation in the Hamas stronghold of Shejaiya in the north of the sealed-off coastal strip, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Friday evening.
Shortly after the incident, suspicions arose that the dead could have been hostages, said Hagari. The bodies were then brought to Israeli territory for closer examination. It was confirmed that there were three Israeli hostages.
“This is a tragic incident, the army bears full responsibility,” Hagari continued. The military immediately began investigating the incident. Hagari emphasized that Shejaiya is an “active combat area” where there has been ongoing fighting in recent days. He expressed his condolences to the families of the hostages./rme/DP/men
