Middle East - Gaza: Soldiers accidentally kill three hostages during fighting
Israeli soldiers have accidentally killed three hostages during fighting in the Gaza Strip. The armed forces mistakenly identified them as a threat during an operation in the Hamas stronghold of Shejaiya in the north of the sealed-off coastal strip and shot at them, according to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari.
The serious incident took place this morning. Hagari says it is not yet clear how the three hostages ended up in the area of the fighting. However, after an initial reconstruction of the events, the military assumes that they either escaped from their kidnappers or were deliberately left behind.
Shortly after the incident, the suspicion arose that the dead could have been hostages, said Hagari. The bodies were then taken to Israeli territory for closer examination. It was confirmed that they were three Israeli hostages.
"This is a sad and painful incident for all of us, and the army bears responsibility for everything that happened," Hagari continued. The military immediately began investigating the incident. Hagari emphasized that Shejaiya was an "active combat zone" where there had been ongoing fighting in recent days. He expressed his condolences to the families of the hostages.
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Source: www.stern.de
