Three hostages who escaped from Hamas only to be mistakenly killed by the Israel Defense Forces had used food scraps to write the message “SOS” on a white cloth, according to the army.
The Israeli men — Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26 — used food scraps to scribble messages that read “SOS” and “Help, 3 hostages,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said to X.
“Based on the investigation of the incident on the ground, it appears that the three kidnap victims were in the building where the sign was located, at least at one time,” wrote Hagari Ahad.
“The IDF has informed the family of additional discoveries made so far, and will continue to do so,” he saidadding that the investigation into the tragic incident continues.
The hostages left signs at a building in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City where they spent some time after escaping their captors or being abandoned by terrorists, according to the IDF.
Three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by Hamas had used leftover food to write signs asking for help, according to the IDF. @IDFSpokesperson / X
The building was initially believed to have been captured by Hamas after the terrorist group tried to lure soldiers into the area.
On Friday, a shirtless trio waving a white flag approached Israeli soldiers, one of whom mistook them for a threat and opened fire against military regulations.
Two of the hostages were killed instantly while the third returned to the building after being wounded, officials said.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. General Herzi Halevi stressed the rules of engagement to soldiers after the tragic incident. @IDFSpokesperson / X
When cries for help were heard in Hebrew, the battalion commander ordered troops to stop firing, but the wounded man had also been shot and killed when he came out, an army official said.
Immediately after the incident, the IDF sent a new protocol to the army for the possibility of additional hostages successfully escaping from custody.
On Sunday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. General Herzi Halevi emphasized the rules of engagement for the 99th Division troops in the Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel reported.
He told them that people holding the white flag should not be shot, and even if the terrorists put down their weapons and raise their hands, they must be captured and not shot.
Yotam Haim, 28, was abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during a Hamas terrorist attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. AP Alon Shamriz, 26, has been identified as the third Israeli casualty killed by the IDF. Avi Lulu/Facebook Samer Talalka, 22, was taken from Kibbutz Nir Am. Family photo
“You see two people, they have their hands up and are shirtless – take two seconds,” Halevi told soldiers after saying the previous day that the hostages had been shot in violation of IDF protocol.
“And I want to tell you something no less important,” he said Sunday. “What if two Gazans with white flags come out to surrender? Do we shoot them? Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
“Even those who fought and now put down their weapons and raise their hands — we caught them, we didn’t shoot them. We extract a lot of intelligence from the prisoners we have. We already have over 1,000,” said Halevi.
The three hostages were considered a threat when they were shot dead. @IDFSpokesperson / X
“We didn’t shoot them, because the IDF doesn’t shoot people who raise their hands. This is a strength, not a weakness,” he added, according to the news channel.
The IDF chief insisted he had not spoken to them “to say whether [the soldiers who mistakenly opened fire on the captives] right or wrong, but so that we will be right in the future.”
Halevi, who emphasized that the incident was “very difficult and painful,” said that “hopefully, we will have another opportunity where the captives will come to us or we will get home, and do the right thing.”
He reminded the army of the IDF’s three goals during its war against Hamas.
“Think about it: Why did we start ground operations?” he said. “We set three goals: to dismantle Hamas, to restore security to the residents of communities near the Gaza Strip… and the third task is to return the hostages.”
Haim and Shamriz were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during a Hamas terrorist attack on southern Israel on October 7. Talalka was taken from Kibbutz Nir Am.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
