Netanyahu, Under Pressure Over Hostage Deaths, Vows To Press On
Protests started Friday outside the nation’s military headquarters, and larger protests were set for Tel Aviv on Saturday evening.
(Bloomberg) -- 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.
Netanyahu said on Saturday the killings “struck me hard.” But, he added, “We are more determined than ever to continue to the end – until we eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages.”
Protests started on Friday outside the nation’s military headquarters, and larger protests were set for Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. The premier is also 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.
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Friday’s deaths prompted new questions about the conduct of Israel’s military campaign after US President Joe Biden this week called its bombing of Gaza “indiscriminate.”
Herzi Halevi, the IDF chief of staff, said he accepted responsibility for the deaths and promised “we will do everything” to prevent future incidents. He said the hostages apparently “did everything possible” to make clear they were surrendering, including holding a white cloth and not wearing shirts to show no weapons were concealed.
“The shooting at the hostages was against the rules of engagement. It is forbidden to shoot at someone who raises a white flag and seeks to surrender,” Halevi said in a statement on Saturday. “However, this shooting was carried out during combat and under pressure.”
The incident occurred while US 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 week-long cease-fire early in December that included daily exchanges of hostages taken by Hamas in the October attack for prisoners held by Israel.
Fallout from the war has included attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi militants, who are backed by Iran.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin headed to Israel, Bahrain and Qatar on Saturday to work “with partners and allies to advance defense capabilities,” according to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Austin and his UK counterpart Grant Shapps discussed the shipping attacks on Friday and agreed that they “constitute a significant international problem that must be addressed,” according to a Pentagon statement. Both countries have warships in the Red Sea.
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 US citizen being held in Gaza. “We urge immediate negotiation for the return of all hostages.”
US 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.
US 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 US 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.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on Saturday that Israeli snipers killed a mother and her daughter inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, where scores of Christian families have taken refuge. They were killed as one of the women tried to carry the other to safety, the Patriarchate said in a statement.
--With assistance from Alisa Odenheimer and Tony Czuczka.
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