Note: As of December 16, 2023, BBC News is reporting that the Israeli government has been conducting talks with officials from Qatar and Egypt to come up with a plan for the release of the remaining 100 plus hostages of the 240 who were kidnapped from Israel on October 7 and who are still being held in Gaza by Hamas. This heightened need for the release of hostages is probably prompted by the following events.

The Israeli media started reporting on Friday evening about how 3 men, Yotam Haim, Samer El-Talalka and Alon Shamriz – all in their 20s – had somehow escaped their captors and were approaching an IDF position in the Shejaiya area of Gaza City with one waving a stick with a white cloth tied to it and with all of them being bare-chested.

But an IDF Israeli soldier spotted them and fired upon them shouting, “Terrorists!”

Soon after, huge protests converged on the Kirya, Israel’s military headquarters compound in Tel Aviv, even though most Israelis had begun to mark Shabbat on Friday evening, the Jewish day of rest.

My question is if the rescuing of the approximately 120 hostages out of the 240 originally kidnapped, and still being held captive in Gaza by Hamas is a top priority as claimed by Israeli government officials, why Israeli soldiers haven’t been given photos of the hostages still in captivity in Gaza by Hamas? Why put out an incorrect preliminary report that the 3 men did not follow the IDF’s own rules of engagement.

As per a NYT report, Israel’s chief of staff, Gen. Herzi Halevy said that the soldiers’ actions were contrary to the military’s rules of engagement. “It is forbidden to shoot at those who raise a white flag and seek to surrender.”

Few are buying the Prime Minister Netanyahu’s talking point that it’s Israel’s military pressure on Hamas that’s setting the stage for Israel to successfully negotiate for the release of hostages.

As per an updated December 16, 2023 NPR report, “3 hostages were shot dead after being misidentified by soldier” by Scott Neuman and Kat Lonsdorf:

“An investigation into the killing of three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza has found that the captives were shirtless and waving a white flag as Israeli soldiers fired on them.”

“The preliminary report Saturday by the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, said the hostages had managed to evade their captors in the northern Gaza neighborhood of Shijaiyah before they were “mistakenly identified” as they exited a building. They were then shot by an Israeli soldier.”

“Two were killed immediately and another was wounded and ran back into the building, an Israeli official said in a briefing on Saturday. Soldiers then heard a cry for help in Hebrew. The soldier’s battalion commander ordered the firing to stop. The third hostage later died of his wounds.”

“Last month (November 2023), Hamas released more than 100 hostages in a seven-day truce in exchange for about 300 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. The three captives killed on Friday were among the more than 100 hostages believed still held by the Palestinian militant group.”

“The preliminary report concluded that the soldiers involved in the accidental shooting did not follow the IDF’s own rules of engagement. The hostages had been dressed in civilian clothes (they were shirtless) and waving a white flag before they were shot by a soldier who felt under threat, the military official said.

“Hamas militants wear civilian clothes to deceive the military, the official said.”

Families of the hostages have kept up public pressure on Netanyahu’s government, calling for Israel’s first priority to be their safe return, and not the military operation to eradicate Hamas. Adding to that pressure in recent weeks, captives who were released during last month’s cease-fire have been speaking publicly about their time in captivity.

As per a December 16, 2023 Guardian report, “Israel-Gaza war live: Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by IDF in Gaza were holding makeshift white flags, officials say,  by Maya Yang (now); Tom Ambrose, Sammy Gecsoyler and Adam Fulton:

Excerpts by Peter Beaumont:

As crowds gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to protest the handling of the hostage crisis and Benjamin Netanyahu’s role in it, former hostage Raz Ben Ami said he had warned the war cabinet of the risk to hostages.

“Ten days ago I warned cabinet members that the fighting could harm the hostages. Unfortunately I was right. Military action alone will not save their lives. Israel must lay out another round of cycles to release the hostages,” he said.

As Netanyahu huddled inside the Kirya with his war cabinet, protesters outside accused him of betraying Israel.

“He promised to bring down Hamas in 2008 and 2012,” said one speaker outside the military headquarters. “He is a traitor and Likud [Netanyahu’s party] is waking up,” the speaker added.

See: Israel-Hamas War Hostages Shot by Israel Had White Flag/ NYT,