The Israeli army announced today, Saturday, the killing of the Israeli captive held by Hamas, Anbar Heyman. Details regarding the circumstances of her death are still unclear; however, the news has heightened the anger of the families of the captives, who have called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation.
An Israeli army official stated that a preliminary investigation concluded that the three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces in Gaza were waving a white flag. The official added that a soldier noticed the hostages appearing several dozen meters from Israeli troops in Shuja'iyya, a region experiencing intense fighting in northern Gaza, where fighters from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) conduct operations in civilian clothing and use deceptive tactics.
The official told journalists in a phone briefing, "They were all shirtless, holding a stick with a piece of white cloth. The soldier felt threatened and opened fire, declaring them terrorists, so the forces shot, and two of them were killed immediately."
The official noted that the third hostage was injured and retreated to a nearby building, where he requested assistance in Hebrew. He added, "Immediately, the battalion commander issued an order to cease fire, but again shooting occurred towards the third person, and he died as well… This was against our engagement rules."
The army stated yesterday, Friday, that the three hostages killed in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City were Yotam Hayim, Alon Shamriz, who were kidnapped from the Kfar Aza residential complex, and Samer al-Talaka, who was abducted from the nearby Nir Am residential complex.
Approximately 300 people attended the funeral of al-Talaka (25 years old) today, Saturday, in his hometown of Hura in southern Israel. One of his relatives, named Alaa al-Talaka, told the Israeli public broadcasting organization (Kan Radio) from the mourning tent in his Bedouin community, "We had many hopes and expectations that he would return to us."
He added, "We will not start pointing fingers at who is guilty and who is not guilty. This is not the time… Families are only thinking about how to get the hostages back alive. This is the right time to call for an end to the war."
There are still more than 100 hostages in Gaza, held in isolation from the outside world despite Israeli calls for the Red Cross to access them. More than 100 women, children, boys, and foreigners were released in an agreement reached in late November. Israeli authorities announced the deaths of others.
News of the killing of the three hostages by Israeli forces yesterday, Friday, sparked protests late at night outside the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, where the families of the hostages are expected to make a statement later today, Saturday.
The father of one of the captives said families wonder every day if they will be the ones to receive bad news next. Ruby Chen, whose son Itay is held in Gaza, told reporters while holding an hourglass, "We are in something resembling Russian roulette… The Israeli government must get control of things and bring the hostages back."
