The White House described the accidental killing of three hostages by Israeli troops in Gaza as ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘tragic’ on Friday.
The captured Israelis, who were abducted during the Hamas terrorist attack October 7, were shot at in Shejaiya, a neighbourhood in Gaza, after members of the Israel Defence Force mistook them as a ‘threat’.
White House spokesman John Kirby said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the deaths.
‘I think the Israelis will certainly take a look at this and I’m sure they will do the forensics and to try to figure out how … how this happened,’ he said.
Two of the victims have been named – Yotam Haim, 28, who was abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Samer Fouad Talalka, 22, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Am on October 7.
National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby described the accidental killing of three hostages by Israeli troops in Gaza as ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘tragic’
The third hostage will not be named by the IDF at request of their family.
During a briefing call with reporters, Kirby was asked whether the killings reflected growing concern about whether Israel was using appropriate force.
‘I don’t think that that we can necessarily make some sort of broad judgement about the certain specific circumstances here and what that says about the the ability for them to be more surgical and more precise,’ said Kirby.
A day earlier Biden himself said he wanted Israel to be more careful in avoiding civilian deaths and his national security adviser talked to Israeli officials about switching to a lower intensity campaign.
‘I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives,’ Biden told reporters, amid growing signs that international support for Israel was ebbing. ‘Not stop going after Hamas, but to be more careful.’
Earlier Friday the IDF expressed its regret for the killings.
‘During combat in Shejaiya, the IDF mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat,’ it said. ‘As a result, the troops fired toward them and they were killed.’
The force expressed ‘deep remorse over the tragic incident’ and have launched an immediate investigation.
Iris Haim pictured with her son Yotam Haim who was abducted on October 7 by Hamas. Tonight the IDF announced he was one of the three hostages accidentally killed
Samer Talalka, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Am on October 7, was also killed by the IDF
The captured Israelis, who were abducted on October 7, were shot at as the during the neighbourhood of Shejaiya in Gaza after members of the IDF mistook them as a ‘threat’
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: ‘This is a tragic incident, the IDF bears responsibility. This is an area where the soldiers encountered many terrorists, including suicide bombers.’
The Israeli military said it will be ‘reviewing the incident immediately’ adding that ‘immediate lessons’ have also been learnt.
The force said it’s mission remains to ‘locate the missing and return all hostages home’.
Yotam’s mother Iris Haim has been desperately trying to get son home since he disappeared more than two months ago.
She spoke at a press conference held by The Missing Families and Hostages Forum on Tuesday, recalling the last conversation she had with her son.
The terrified mother described the moment her son was taken by Hamas terrorists at 10.44am from a safe room he had been hiding in on October 7.
He told his mother that terrorists were ‘shooting at the house, shooting the door, shooting the safe room and burning the house.’
Their conversation began at 6.30am but became more frantic after her son discovered that it wasn’t a missle strike taking place, but a terror attack happening in his kibbutz.
A panicked Iris, said her son who suffers from some mental and medical issues was alone and ‘afraid.’ She tried to call the police and the army but could not get through.
Yotam Haim, 28, (right) pictured with his brother Tuval Haim, 31, (left). Yotam was killed by the IDF after he was mistaken for a terrorist
Yotam Hami, 28, was hiding at his kibbutz in a safe room when he was abducted on October 7
Yotam was one of three Israeli hostages accidentally killed by the IDF
Yotam’s parents lived in a nearby moshav and his father desperately wanted to get his son but was unable to because of Hamas surrounding the area.
‘We couldn’t help,’ she wept. ‘We knew we couldn’t help as a mother and a father we were so helpless.’
Calling his mother ‘mamou’ the endearing name, her son began using after a mother-son trip to France, she began to cry as she recalled the last time they would speak before they lost all communication.
‘Mamou I hope I will survive this,’ Yotam told his mother. ‘I don’t know if I will survive, but I love you…. ask for help…. please…please… send someone please … I don’t have air… I cannot breathe.’
A few weeks ago, while speaking at another forum for those who have loved ones murdered or kidnapped by Hamas. Iris begged for his son to be returned. ‘He needs to come back to his family … to us,’ she said.
Samar was working on October 7 in the in the Kibbutz Nir Am hatchery, where he often worked weekend shifts and needed to be there early in the morning, according to The Times of Israel.
On the day of the attacks, a local organiser Wahid Ahoziil said he tried to get hold of Samar, who worked alongside his father, but ‘he didn’t answer’.
The IDF expressed ‘deep remorse over the tragic incident’ and have launched an immediate investigation
‘He’s a great guy,’ said Mr Ahoziil said in the aftermath of the attacks. ‘He wants to make an honest living.’
Samar was a member of the Bedouin community in southern Israel. He was taken alongside two other members of the community.
Earlier the IDF said it had recovered three more bodies of hostages seized by Hamas during the lethal October 7 attacks.
The victims were identified as Elia Toledano, 28, Cpl. Nik Beizer, 19, and Sgt. Ron Sherman, 19.
Toledano, a French-Israeli, was among an estimated 240 people abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
He had been attending the Nova music festival alongside his friend and fellow French-Israeli Mia Schem, who was released under a truce agreement at the end of November.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna expressed deep sadness over Toledano’s death.
‘We share the grief of his family and loved ones. The release of all hostages is our priority,’ she wrote on X.
According to the Israeli military, 132 of the hostages taken to Gaza are still being held.
Hamas kidnapped around 250 hostages during its October 7 attack on Israel, which killed 1,139 people, according to official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory war against the group has killed more than 18,700 people, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
The Israeli government has repeatedly stated that bringing home all of the hostages is one of its chief war aims.