The Israeli military, known as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), announced that during the fighting in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of eastern Gaza City, the IDF inadvertently identified the hostages as a threat and fired at them, resulting in their deaths.

The circumstances surrounding the encounter between the soldiers and the hostages remain unclear, leaving unanswered questions as to why the soldiers believed the hostages posed a threat. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, expressed deep sorrow over the event and admitted that the IDF bears responsibility for the tragedy.

Initial assessments indicate that the hostages may have either fled or been abandoned by their captors during a skirmish. The ongoing investigation into the incident has yet to determine whether the hostages had their hands up or were speaking Hebrew at the time.

Israel's military issued a statement expressing "deep remorse" over the tragedy and emphasizing that the area where the incident occurred is an active combat zone that has witnessed intense fighting in recent days. The military vowed to learn immediate lessons from the event and disseminate them to all IDF troops in the field.

The three victims of this unfortunate incident have been identified as Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 25, and Alon Shamriz, 26. Talalka, an Israeli Bedouin, was working at a poultry hatchery in Kibbutz Nir Am when militants attacked. Haim was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.

This incident comes amid ongoing tensions between Israel and the militant group Hamas. On October 7, militants launched a series of attacks, kidnapping over 240 Israelis and foreign nationals. While 110 have been freed, with many released during a seven-day ceasefire in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, around 110 hostages are believed to still be in captivity in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his deep sorrow and extended condolences to the families of the victims. In a statement, he said, "Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the fall of three of our dear sons who were kidnapped. My heart goes out to the grieving families in their difficult time."

The IDF's investigation into this tragic incident will continue as they seek to understand the circumstances that led to the mistaken identification of the hostages and ensure that such incidents are avoided in the future.