Israeli Hostages Were Waving White Flag, Called For Help In Hebrew Before Getting 'Mistakenly' Killed By IDF

Shocking details of the deaths of three Israeli hostages who were shot dead by the IDF has now come to light. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed on Saturday that its soldiers killed the hostages after "mistakenly" identifying them as "threats" in the Gaza strip.

But reports from Israeli media suggest that the hostages were waving white flags and also called for help from the IDF before they were gunned down.

One Israeli hostage was waving a makeshift white flag and another called for help in Hebrew when they were shot dead by Israeli soldiers in Gaza - who mistook them fighters - according to the Israeli military official who briefed journalists. They were also reportedly shirtless," journalist Bel Trew tweeted on X.

Location of the Incident

The deaths occurred in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where troops have engaged in fierce battles against Hamas militants in recent days.

The deaths were announced as a US envoy said the US and Israel were discussing a timetable for scaling back intense combat operations in the war against Hamas, even though they agree the overall fight will take months.

US Envoy's Meeting with Palestinian President

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the besieged enclave's postwar future, which, according to a senior US official, could include bringing back Palestinian security forces driven from their jobs in Gaza by Hamas in its 2007 takeover.

American and Israeli officials have been vague in public about how Gaza will be run if Israel achieves its goal of ending Hamas control. The notion that Palestinian security forces could return was floated as one of several ideas. It appeared to be the first time Washington offered details on its vision for security arrangements in the enclave.

Israeli Goals in Gaza

Any role for Palestinian security forces in Gaza is bound to elicit strong opposition from Israel, which seeks to maintain an open-ended security presence there and says it won't allow a postwar foothold for the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but is deeply unpopular with Palestinians.

In meetings with Israeli leaders on Thursday and Friday, Sullivan discussed a timetable for winding down the intense combat phase of the war.