Israeli hostage waves white flag after being shot by mistake

Preliminary investigation results of the Israeli military show that the hostage who was shot by mistake in the Gaza Strip waved a white flag and called for help in Hebrew.

An official from Israel’s Southern Command said on December 16 that the shooting incident that killed three hostages occurred in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip. This is an area where Hamas militants are still active, often disguised as civilians and using tricks to distract the enemy.

An Israeli soldier spotted a group of three men coming out of a building about 10 meters from the guard post. The soldier believed that the three strangers were actually bait to lure the Israeli soldiers into an ambush.

"All the hostages were shirtless. They were waving a stick with a white cloth hanging from it. The soldier felt threatened and opened fire," said an Israeli military official.

Israeli soldiers in action in the Gaza Strip on November 22. Photo: Reuters — Israeli soldiers in action in the Gaza Strip on November 22. Photo: *Reuters*

According to initial reports, the soldier shouted that the hostages were terrorists, prompting the unit to open fire, killing two of them at the scene. The other hostage was wounded but managed to escape into a nearby building. He then called for help in Hebrew.

Israeli military officials said the battalion commander immediately ordered a ceasefire. However, when the third hostage reappeared, another soldier opened fire, killing the hostage.

The Israeli military assessed both details, including the act of opening fire on the group of three before identifying the target and the act of opening fire on the wounded hostage who called for help, as violations of the rules of engagement.

The three victims of the December 15 shooting incident have been identified as Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samer Talalka, who were kidnapped from the villages of Kfar Aza and Nir Am on October 7.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it an "unbearable tragedy". The White House also described the incident as a "tragic mistake". Hundreds of people protested in Tel Aviv calling on the government to prioritize the rescue of the hostages.