Israeli troops mistakenly killed three hostages who were taken by Hamas in the October raid, the military said Friday. The Israeli Defense Forces said their soldiers fatally shot three men they mistook for terrorists in the Shejaiya neighborhood near Gaza City on Friday morning, reports the Washington Post. The hostages had either escaped captivity or "were abandoned by the terrorists who held them captive," said an IDF spokesman, per the Times of Israel. He said the troops encountered them in a hostile area and opened fire.
"After the shooting, during a scan and examination, an immediate suspicion arose regarding the identity of the dead, and their bodies were quickly transferred for examination in Israel, where the hostages were identified," said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. Two were identified as Yotam Haim and Samer Talalka, both of whom were abducted on Oct. 7. The family of the third hostage asked that his identity not be revealed. "This is a tragic event, which took place in a battle zone where the troops encountered many terrorists in recent days, and today, and fought hard battles," said Hagari. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
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