Three Israelis being held hostage in by Hamas in Gaza were yesterday killed in what the Israeli military called a mistake.
The accident occurred during a ground operation in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military.
The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israeli troops found the hostages and erroneously identified them as a threat. He said it was not clear if they had escaped their captors or been abandoned.
The deaths occurred in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where troops have engaged in fierce battles against Hamas militants in recent days.
He said the army expressed “deep sorrow” and was investigating.
The deaths were announced as a U.S. envoy said the U.S. 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.
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