The Israeli army (IDF) on Sunday released photos of messages left on the building where three hostages were hiding before they were mistakenly shot dead by IDF forces who they said mistook them for terrorists, The Times of Israel reported.

Yes, the messages “SOS” and “Help, 3 hostages” were written in Hebrew on a white cloth using leftover food.

The building where the messages were posted, discovered by Israeli forces on Wednesday, was believed by the IDF to be a Hamas trap.

The building was about 200 meters from where three Israeli hostages were mistaken for Hamas terrorists and shot on Friday, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

Three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by the Israeli army: Yotam Chaim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26.

How did the Israeli army manage to kill three Israeli hostages?

Three Israeli hostages accidentally killed by Israeli forces in Gaza were shirtless and holding a white flag, according to the first checks carried out in the case, Israeli army officials said on Saturday, quoted by Reuters.

The incident took place in an area where there is intense fighting, and Hamas militants operate in civilian clothes and use camouflage tactics, IDF officials said.

An Israeli soldier saw the hostages appear dozens of meters from Israeli forces in the Shejaiya area and shouted “terrorists!” to other soldiers, opening fire on them.

“They were all shirtless and had a stick with a white cloth. The soldier felt a threat and opened fire. He said they were terrorists and they (Israeli soldiers) opened fire. The two men were killed immediately,” said a military official quoted by Reuters and The Guardian.

The other day, when images surfaced of alleged Hamas members captured by Israeli soldiers, they were naked, and the army said this was done to make sure they were not carrying explosives.

An Israeli official who presented the initial findings of the investigation said on Saturday that the three hostages may have been abandoned or escaped.

The first reaction of the head of the Israeli army

Israel’s army chief, General Herzi Halevi, responded on Saturday after his forces killed three Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip a day earlier, saying the IDF “bears responsibility” for the incident and that it would “do everything to prevent the recurrence of such incidents under a time of hostilities,” reports The Times of Israel.

• “The incident in which IDF soldiers accidentally killed Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalq is a difficult and painful event.
• Three hostages, who survived seventy days of hell, opposed the IDF soldiers and were killed by the fire of our troops.
• IDF soldiers and their commanders in Gaza want nothing more than to save the hostages alive. I failed in this matter. We feel the deep pain of the families for the death of the hostages,” Halevi said in a video message.

Israel’s army chief said that the Israel Defense Forces and he as commander “are responsible for what happened” and “will do everything to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the continuation of hostilities.”

“A split-second decision can mean life or death,” Halevi said.

Israel’s army chief tried to explain that the three hostages were shirtless, carrying a makeshift white flag and that his soldiers were shooting at them “under pressure”.

• “They were shot in violation of the rules of open fire. It is forbidden to shoot at those who raise a white flag and demand to surrender. But this blow was executed during the battle and under pressure,” says Halevi.

According to the Israeli general, the Israel Defense Forces have completed a preliminary investigation into the incident and sent new protocols of rules to the ground forces.

• “There may be situations when hostages escape or are abandoned during the battle, and we have the duty and responsibility to save them alive. (…) Our troops fought for seventy days in Gaza and on other fronts, courageously and decisively defending Israel.
• We went into battle to destroy the enemy across the border and bring the hostages back home. Without decisive fighting, we will not be able to return the hostages and restore the security of Gaza’s border communities.
• We must continue to fight the force without retreating from its goals,” the Israeli army commander added.

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