Military says conclusions of its probe into the deaths of the captives counsel an Israeli air strike seemingly killed them in November.
After denials for months, the Israeli army says there’s a “excessive likelihood” its air strike was accountable for the deaths of three Israeli captives in Gaza in November.
The army on Sunday stated it was unaware the captives have been current in a tunnel within the Palestinian territory once they launched the assault on November 10, 2023.
The our bodies of the three captives – Corporal Nik Beizer, Sergeant Ron Sherman and French-Israeli nationwide Elia Toledano – have been recovered on December 14. However the reason for dying was not decided.
“The findings of the investigation counsel a excessive likelihood that the three have been killed because of a byproduct of an [Israeli army] air strike, through the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November tenth, 2023,” the army stated in an announcement.
The army stated its investigation revealed that the three captives had been held in a tunnel advanced from which Ghandour operated.
“On the time of the strike, the [army] didn’t have details about the presence of hostages within the focused compound,” the army assertion stated.
All three captives have been amongst nearly 250 people kidnapped by the Palestinian group Hamas in its October 7 assault contained in the Israeli territory.
In its report, the military stated “it isn’t doable to positively decide the circumstances of their deaths”.
The conclusions might add additional stress on the Israeli authorities to strike a deal to deliver residence the remaining captives held by Hamas.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent Hamdah Salhut stated the Israeli military’s admission could possibly be “an embarrassment” for the federal government. Salhut was reporting from Amman, Jordan as a result of Al Jazeera has been banned by the Israeli authorities.
“There have been a sequence of great intelligence and safety failures that the army has gone by way of all through this battle, probably the most notable of them again in December when the Israeli military shot and killed three captives within the Gaza Strip,” she stated.
Salhut stated the newest admission by the army “just isn’t being obtained fairly properly as a result of there are households of captives calling for a deal, fearing this precise kind of factor”.
“It’s definitely a humiliation on all scales, not simply politically however security-wise as properly, that the military made this admission so many months later.”
