ALBAWABA - The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have wrapped up their investigation into the killing of three Israeli captives in Gaza on December 15. The report reveals that, despite intelligence indicating the presence of captives in the area, IOF forces lacked sufficient awareness of the potential encounter with captives held by Hamas.
The IOF's report highlights an incident on December 10, where Israeli occupation soldiers discovered a note in Hebrew saying "Help" near a tunnel shaft in Shuja'iyya, along with an IO card belonging to a Hamas agent. Although there was no information linking the note to the presence of captives in Shuja'iyya, soldiers perceived it as an attempt by Hamas to set up an ambush.
The report further details events on December 18 when soldiers, scanning the building where the conflict occurred, noticed "SOS" and "Help, 3 hostages" written in Hebrew on the side of a nearby building through drone footage. The report suggests that soldiers suspected a trap due to the presence of blue barrels commonly used in booby-trapped areas near Shuja'iyya.
In both instances, there was no intelligence about the two buildings where captives were later found. The report states, "As part of the assessments, special forces brigades are prepared to intervene immediately upon identifying a building with captives within a force during any conflict zone."
Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi acknowledged the failure to rescue the captives and expressed sorrow for the outcome. Halevi noted that the incident could have been prevented, but there was no ill intent, and soldiers acted based on their understanding of the situation at that moment.
Halevi emphasized the need for a review before firing in situations where there is no immediate threat or defined enemy. He stated, "This action, among other things, is necessary to prevent our forces from firing at each other. In this incident, three captives did not act threateningly and raised a white flag. The pressure and operational environment made it difficult for soldiers to implement these aspects."
The IOF will review the investigation, and Halevi instructed all commanders to enhance awareness regarding captives among their forces.
