Israeli Troops Mistakenly Kill 3 Hostages Who Were Trying To Escape

In an incredibly rare and surprise admission, the Israeli army has owned up to killing its own citizens who had been held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The incident happened Friday in the densely populated northern Gaza town of Shejaiye, and resulted in three Israeli hostages being mistakenly killed - all of them young men who had been kidnapped on Oct.7. The men were trying to escape when they were killed by fire from Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Israeli troops "mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat," according to an official military statement. “As a result, the troops fired toward them and they were killed. During searches and checks in the area in which the incident occurred, a suspicion arose over the identities of the deceased."

Thinking they might have been captives, "Their bodies were transferred to Israeli territory for examination, after which it was confirmed that they were three Israeli hostages," the statement continued.

The IDF then expressed "deep sorrow for the incident" and said it is under investigation. The three men were identified as Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka, Samer Talalka - and all were taken from kibbutz communities in southern Israel during the Hamas terror raids there over two months ago.

A group representing the families of kidnapped relatives, called The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, expressed "profound grief" - while prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed that it is "an unbearable tragedy" but also emphasized continued support for Israeli soldiers "who are devoted to the sacred mission of returning our hostages, even at the cost of their lives."

"Even on this difficult evening, we will dress our wounds, learn the necessary lessons and continue with our supreme effort to return all our hostages home safely," Netanyahu added.

Friday was full of tragedy and bad news for Israel, given also the bodies of three separate deceased were found. All had been kidnapped on Oct.7 - and two were soldiers who had been working at a border checkpoint:

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday that troops operating in Gaza had recovered the bodies of two soldiers and one civilian hostage who were taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7. The military also announced the deaths of three more soldiers as heavy fighting continued in the Strip.

The returned soldiers were named as Cpl. Nik Beizer, 19, and Sgt. Ron Sherman, 19. The civilian was identified as Elia Toledano, a 28-year-old French-Israeli citizen.

All of this is likely to increase the outrage and political pressure already being directed at Netanyahu. Kidnap victims families and their supporters have alleged the Netanyahu government's hawkish approach to the crisis has unnecessarily endangered the lives of the more than 100 hostages that remain, following the weeklong truce.

The families were hoping for a extension of the deal, or the establishment of another deal, to get their loved ones back. Netanyahu has still vowed to pursue the goal of the complete eradication of Hamas undeterred.