Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a briefing at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 28, 2023. (Abir Sultan/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)
(Tribune News Service) — Criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu for not acting with urgency to free hostages held by Hamas is rising as details emerge about the shooting deaths of three Israeli captives at the hands of the nation’s military during fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s prime minister plans to hold a press conference in Tel Aviv on Saturday night.
Protests started on Friday outside the nation’s military headquarters, and a major demonstration is planned for Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. The premier is taking heat for what’s been termed inaction on securing a new prisoner exchange deal, two weeks after a brief cease-fire ended.
The Israel Defense Forces revealed Saturday that the three hostages emerged shirtless from a building in the Shejaiya neighborhood of northern Gaza during fighting, holding a makeshift white flag to signify surrender, and that one shouted “help” in Hebrew. They were shot, contrary to the rules of engagement, as soldiers suspected a Hamas threat.
The men were identified as Yotam Haim, 28, Alon Shamriz, 26, and Samer Talalka, 25. All were abducted from kibbutzim in southern Israel near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. The Times of Israel reported that the three were trying to escape their captors when they were killed.
Friday’s deaths prompted new questions about the conduct of Israel’s military campaign after U.S. President Joe Biden this week called its bombing of Gaza “indiscriminate.”
The incident occurred while U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan was visiting the region. Israel’s two-month bombardment of Gaza was triggered by brutal attacks on southern Israel by Hamas fighters on Oct. 7. Some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and about 240, including the three men shot on Friday, were taken hostage.
Israel and Hamas ended a weeklong cease-fire early in December that included daily exchanges of hostages taken by Hamas in the October attack for prisoners held by Israel.
Some 129 people taken in the October raids are estimated to still be held in Gaza, 70 days after their capture. Israel’s negotiating team was ordered to return from Qatar, which had brokered the earlier exchanges, on Dec. 2.
The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency is expected to meet Qatar’s prime minister this weekend to discuss new negotiations on a hostage deal, Axios reported. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that talks would take place in Norway. Israel’s Channel 13 reported that the war cabinet would discuss the matter.
“Israel needs to actively pursue another deal, even if it means halting military operations in Gaza or releasing Palestinian prisoners with blood on their hands,” retired Major General Noam Tibon told Bloomberg News. “Otherwise, the cabinet is neglecting the hostages, and we risk not bringing them back alive.”
In a statement late Friday, Netanyahu expressed “deep sorrow” for the deaths, saying Israel would “learn the lessons and continue with a supreme effort” to return the abductees to safety.
“Yesterday, I heard a minister in the cabinet say that the conditions haven’t matured for the return of the captives. What is the cabinet waiting for?” said Rubi Chen, the father of Itay Chen, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier and U.S. citizen being held in Gaza. “We urge immediate negotiation for the return of all hostages.”
U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called the hostages’ deaths “heartbreaking” but cautioned against making broader judgments about Israel’s ability to conduct its campaign with more precision.
More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed since Israel started its campaign two months ago, according to Hamas-run health authorities it Gaza; Israel disputes the estimate.
U.S. officials including Sullivan are also talking to Israel about shifting the war from a crushing military assault to an operation that focuses on targeting leaders of Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the U.S. and the European Union.
Sullivan met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a visit to the West Bank on Friday, and “expressed his deepest sympathy” for Palestinian lives lost since Oct. 7, the NSC said in a statement. The two talked about getting more humanitarian aid into Gaza and “stressed the importance of enhancing the protection of civilians,” the statement said.
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Visit bloomberg.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
