IDF shoot hostages in Gaza after 'mistakenly identifying them as a threat'

[Struggggggling]

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/idf-kill-israeli-hostages-mistakenly-identifying-hamas-gaza/

Previous hostages warned this would happen, tragic events. There is no winner in this conflict only losers.

Do you think Israel will now change tactics or if any histage swaps will take priority?

On weapons, various groups around the world are getting their weapons on the black market. The market was flooded after weapons were sent to Ukraine with lax or absent controls on tracking them.

Weapons traffickers have enjoyed a bonanza.

"...this excess of international military aid to Ukraine is becoming a time bomb. Combined with a total absence of control by Western and Ukrainian authorities, it has provided an apparently inexhaustible supply of state-of-the art weaponry to black markets across the world..."
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2023-000805EN.html

This is from Peter Beaumont longtime writer for the Guardian

Israeli hostages killed mistakenly in Gaza were holding white flag, official says

According to reports in the Hebrew media an initial IDF probe into the incident suggests all three men were shirtless, with one carrying a makeshift white flag.

On seeing them, one Israeli soldier shouted “terrorists!” to the other forces, initiating fire at the men, a military official said.

While two hostages were hit immediately and fell to the ground, the third managed to escape into a nearby building where despite pleas in Hebrew, he was also shot and killed.

@Efacsen it's on BBC now too. I'm shocked they were holding white flags and still killed

Thank you for sharing, I think the 'hail of bullets' is likely, as pp have mentioned unfortunately a lot of the IDF soldiers haven't had a lot of training.
There was also a report 2 days ago of women and children being killed in a similar fashion whilst the were sheltering in a school.

Surely there will be a change in tactics going forward?

No im not, this thread is about whether or not there will be a change in approach and secondly if this tragic event will bring both parties back to the negotiation table.

@Struggggggling it's worse than that
See @Efacsen update. The BBC have also now reported on it too

I think you might be right about the soldiers engaging in ground battle, in terms of how experienced they are or is there alot of young conscripts with not much experience?

@Parkingt111 Agree it sounds like someone inexperienced panicked - and shouted 'terrorist' when they saw some unexpected movement

In terms of changing tactics this was mentioned. Although it doesn't specify what the tactics and rules of engagement are

"I'll say very, very clear. This was against our rules of engagement. I repeat, it was against our rules of engagement," the IDF official says.
He says the killings were "very tragic" and a preliminary Investigation is ongoing "at the highest level".
He says lessons have been learned, and "all the rules of engagement are being sent out again to all the forces".

IDF say against their rules of engagement which is clearer in the longer description - the commander shouted 'ceasefire' but the soldiers carried on shooting

Not an easy situation by any means but you sound pretty dismissive to me

@Delightangels it's not pointless. It's a discussion which raises many questions on the situation on the ground and how this is being managed

"Pointless"? All situations like this should be thoroughly investigated and bought into the open. Lest you end up with an army full of trigger happy sadists with zero accountability.

Another point that has come to light is there was a building nearby with SOS painted on it. The IDF will be investigating if this was related to the hostages.

@Delightangels It is important to scrutinise. This is tragic for the hostages and heart breaking to the families. It can't be dismissed as 'stressed out soldiers'. It must not happen again. Also, there may be a common thread of competency in the military which might explain the enormous amount of wounded and killed women and children.

BBC headline

Killed hostages were either abandoned or had escaped - IDF

Reminds me of the Russian hostage who escaped and was returned by locals to his captors because it would be 'safer'

It's really awful to think they may have escaped and were trying to approach the soldiers for safety. One was pleading for his life in Hebrew.

@Struggggggling maybe here is your answer

Israeli, Qatari officials to meet in Oslo on Saturday: Report

David Barnea, the Israeli intelligence agency’s chief, and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister, are set to meet on Saturday in Norway’s capital, Oslo, to renew discussion for the release of captives, The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The talks were described as “exploratory”, read the report, adding that Barnea is also expected to meet with Egyptian officials.

Yes, it's terribly sad.

If a soldier is stressed to the point of killing someone with a white flag maybe they shouldn’t be in in this mission

That is so horrifying.

Imagine being held hostage for 9 weeks, never sure if your captors or a bomb will kill you and the relief they must have felt at seeing their "own side" only for two to be shot and killed whilst waving a white flag and the third to be hunted down and shot whilst pleading for his life.

I know transparency is important but I almost wish this information hadn't been made public to spare their families.

I wonder about the age and experience of the soldiers who shot them and what they must be going through now.

This war is so fucking awful for everyone involved and at some point it has to stop and negotiating a peace must start, why can't we cut out the suffering, death and destruction part.

I doubt they're feeling great at the moment. Why wouldn't you want to investigate this to see what can be done to stop it happening again? Surely you would want to do everything possible to avoid dead hostages and traumatised soldiers.

This is from Lt Col Hetch IDF

"Mistakes happen in this kind of conflict", he says, adding "it’s a very complex situation” because the soldiers were in a combat zone and they were getting fired at.

He says the soldiers responsible are not going to be punished.

“These are our hostages, these are our soldiers….first of all we’ll be giving help to these soldiers. They’re not going to be punished - they made a mistake, they made a mistake."

People dying because of these incompetent morons.
It’s far from ’pointless’.