More details are coming out about the three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli Defense Force troops in Gaza despite the fact that they were waving a white flag. Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26, had used leftover food to make signs on fabric reading, in Hebrew, "SOS" and "Help, 3 hostages," the BBC reports. The signs were found on the wall of the building where the men had been hiding, Reuters reports. It's not clear how they'd gotten separated from their captors, but officials believe they'd been staying in the building a while. They were shot when they emerged from a building, shirtless and waving the aforementioned white flag. Two were shot and killed immediately by IDF troops who thought they were terrorists.
The third was shot and wounded, and after he retreated into the building, someone was heard calling for help in Hebrew and the battalion commander ordered a ceasefire. However, when he came back out, he was shot again and killed. Speaking just hours after the hostages' deaths had been revealed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to be attempting to change the subject, per the New York Times, which says the deaths of the hostages is "fueling Israelis' doubts about" the PM, supporting the arguments of those who say his military strategy in Gaza is endangering the remaining 120 hostages Hamas is believed to be holding. He's also being criticized for not immediately expressing regret for the hostages' deaths, and the Times says his "grip on power seems shakier than ever." (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
