After months of denial, the Israeli military has acknowledged that its air strike in Gaza likely killed three Israeli captives in November. The bodies of Corporal Nik Beizer, Sergeant Ron Sherman, and French-Israeli national Elia Toledano were recovered in December, but the cause of death was not determined. The military’s investigation revealed that the captives were being held in a tunnel complex controlled by Hamas when they were killed during an attack targeting a Hamas commander. The army stated that they were unaware of the presence of hostages in the targeted compound at the time of the strike.
These conclusions could increase pressure on the Israeli government to negotiate for the release of the remaining captives held by Hamas. The admission by the military has been seen as an embarrassment, with families of captives calling for a deal to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Al Jazeera correspondent Hamdah Salhut noted that this admission comes after a series of intelligence and security failures by the military, further complicating the situation.
Overall, the acknowledgment of the likely responsibility of the air strike in the deaths of the captives has raised questions about the military’s actions and the need for a resolution to bring the remaining captives home. The Israeli government may face further scrutiny and calls for accountability as a result of these revelations.
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Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
