Israeli hostages who were unintentionally shot fashioned a help sign with leftover food

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that three captives who were erroneously executed by Israeli forces in Gaza had written pleas for assistance on placards made with leftover food. The guys, Alon Shamriz, 26, Yotam Haim, 28, and Samer Talalka, 22, were slain in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood. According to the army, they had been residing in the building next to the shooting site “for a while,” while the Gaza Health Ministry said that at least ninety individuals had been killed by Israeli airstrikes in the Jabalia refugee camp.

There are thought to be some 120 hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian organizations in the Gaza Strip, while Israel is under increasing pressure to reach a ceasefire agreement in order to release additional prisoners.

What Israel has previously said on the hostage-taking
Israel already acknowledged that it had violated the “rules of engagement” when it killed three individuals who were waving white flags. During the October 7 Hamas assaults in southern Israel, which claimed the lives of almost 1,200 people, the three individuals were apprehended and sent to Gaza. This caused Tel Aviv to initiate a huge counteroffensive with the goal of eliminating Hamas. Since then, hundreds of thousands more have been forced from their homes in Gaza, and more than 18,000 people have died there.

The three guys, one with a stick covered in white fabric, came out of a building shirtless, according to an Israeli official who spoke with news agency Reuters earlier. One soldier started shooting at them after labeling them “terrorists” because he felt frightened. The third, injured, went back inside the building while the other two were slain right away. There was a scream for assistance in Hebrew as well, and the battalion commander gave the order to stop firing. Later, the injured hostage made a comeback; the official said that he was shot and died.

How has the IDF responded to the captives so far?
It was unclear, according to the IDF, whether the captives had fled or been abandoned by their captors. The building where the fabric letters “SOS” and “Help, 3 hostages” were discovered was searched by the Israeli army. According to IDF, the captives had been inside the facility for a while.

There is pressure on Israel to end the conflict.
In order to release at least some of the detainees, the families of the hostages pleaded with the Israeli authorities to negotiate a fresh ceasefire. In return for Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, more than 100 hostages were freed as a result of the original agreement. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, dismissed the appeals, stating that “military pressure is necessary both for the return of the hostages and for victory”.