In a briefing late Wednesday, Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, said that five days before the deadly hostage shooting, Israeli forces had been patrolling the area where they now know that the hostages were held.
They engaged in a firefight with Palestinian militants and sent a combat dog equipped with a GoPro camera into a building for reconnaissance. The military said Palestinian fighters shot the dog, and the Israeli soldiers prevailed in the fight, killing the militants.
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The three young hostages, shirtless and holding the makeshift white flag, exited a nearby building, the Israeli military said, citing a preliminary investigation. One of the Israeli soldiers, mistaking them for a threat, opened fire, killing two of them and wounding the third, according to the military.
The third hostage fled into the building, from which a cry in Hebrew for help could be heard. The battalion commander ordered the forces to hold their fire. But the wounded hostage later re-emerged, after which he was fatally shot, the military said.
Admiral Hagari pledged that the Israeli military would continue to investigate the shooting, which the military’s chief of staff called a clear violation of the open-fire policy. He added that the military was investigating why the GoPro footage was not immediately reviewed.
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After their deaths, many in Israel have demanded that Mr. Netanyahu do more to secure the release of the more than 100 hostages, mostly men, who are still held in Gaza.
That includes declaring a pause in fighting, or a cease-fire, like the one that ended on Dec. 1. During that halt, Hamas released over 80 Israeli hostages and 24 foreign nationals, while Israel released some 240 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
View this New York Times Report