On Thursday, December 28, the IDF released the results of its investigation into an incident in which three hostages, Yotam Haim, Samer Fuad Al-Talaqa, and Alon Lulu-Shamriz, were mistakenly shot dead by Israeli soldiers in Shujaiyya.
The IDF examined the sequence of events from the discovery of the initial evidence suggesting the presence of hostages near army forces until the moment of their tragic demise.
The initial signal from the hostages was received on December 10 when military personnel discovered a note in Hebrew with the word “Help!” at the entrance to the tunnel shaft. At this juncture, the IDF was unable to link the note to the three abductees. However, it is plausible that it was during this time that the terrorists holding the hostages decided to move them out of the tunnel.
On the same day, the Golani patrol attacked the building where the militants held the hostages. The terrorists were killed, enabling the hostages to escape. For several more days, they moved from building to building, attempting to avoid the combat zone. The IDF commended the hostages for displaying courage and resourcefulness in the face of their challenging situation.
On December 14, a drone from the 900th Brigade detected an “SOS” sign on the building. The IDF deemed it a trap. Subsequent investigation revealed that information about the detection of the SOS signal was not relayed to the soldiers on the scene.
On December 15, the Golani patrol deployed a service dog equipped with a GoPro camera into the building where the hostages were held. The dog climbed onto the roof where the terrorists were and was shot by them. The IDF killed four terrorists.
Only three days later, they were able to review the recordings from the camera attached to the dog's body. On the recording, the screams of the kidnapped could be heard: “Help! We are hostages... Yotam... Alon... We are on the stairs...”
The hostages' cries in this recording are challenging to discern amid the gunfire and grenade explosions. One of the servicemen who listened to the recording interpreted calls for help as a possible ruse by the Hamas militants.
The IDF inspected the building and discovered the bodies of the terrorists. Subsequently, two rockets were launched from an IDF helicopter at the building. It is presumed that the hostages were still in the building at that moment, and miraculously, they managed to survive.
On December 16, soldiers from the 17th battalion entered one of the buildings and established their presence. A sniper positioned on the first floor was conducting surveillance. At 09:42, he observed three shirtless men carrying a white flag.
A tree obstructed the view between the sniper and the abductees, creating visibility challenges. The area where the abductees were located was classified as "red," indicating a threat to the IDF forces stationed there. Despite the difficulty, the sniper fired, tragically killing two hostages. The third hostage managed to escape into a nearby building, where he shouted in Hebrew. Simultaneously, the sniper exclaimed, "Terrorists!"
Upon hearing shouts in Hebrew from the building, the battalion commander, recognizing the language, ordered the cease-fire. However, still perceiving a threat, the commander instructed the remaining hostage to leave the building. Meanwhile, a serviceman on the second floor, unaware of the cease-fire order due to earplugs, and confused about the unfolding events, saw the approaching individual as a potential threat and fired at him. The subsequent investigation revealed that another serviceman unintentionally shot the third hostage.
The report indicates that these events transpired amidst the cacophony of tank fire. Subsequently, the crew of one of the tanks found the body of the third abductee, leading them to the realization that a tragic mistake had occurred.
On December 18, two days after the incident, IDF forces revisited the building and retrieved a video camera from the sniffer dog's body, submitting it for inspection.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the command of the 36th division possessed information about the presence of the abducted individuals in the Shujaiyya area. They even implemented measures to prevent attacks on their potential location. However, this crucial information was not communicated to the fighters on-site.
The troops involved in the Shujaiyyah conflict were not informed about the potential scenario in which the hostages could approach IDF forces independently.
Additionally, there was no briefing regarding the likelihood of encountering the hostages during regular combat rather than as part of a specific operation to rescue them. Consequently, military personnel were not provided with instructions on how to handle such situations.
During the investigation, it was determined that the hostages acted flawlessly from the outset and did not commit any errors.
Chief of the General Staff, Herzi A-Levi, stated that in this instance, the IDF fell short in its mission to rescue the abductees, emphasizing that the deaths of the hostages could have been averted.
