The Israeli military and government were under immense pressure Sunday after 'mistakenly' killing three Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi on Saturday took responsibility for the killing by Israeli soldiers.
"The IDF (Israeli army) and I, as its commander, are responsible for what happened," Halevi said in a video statement, referring to the three hostages who were raising a white flag in the besieged Gaza Strip when they were killed.
He claimed that during intense clashes in Gaza's Shujaiya neighborhood, Palestinian resistance fighters were able to approach Israeli soldiers in civilian clothes.
"A split-second decision could be a life-or-death decision," he said.
"There is nothing that the IDF soldiers and their commanders in the Gaza Strip want more than to rescue hostages alive. We did not succeed in this case. We feel the deep sorrow of the families for the deaths of the hostages," he added.
"I think the three hostages did everything possible so that we would understand – they moved around shirtless so that we wouldn't suspect them of carrying explosives and they held a white cloth – but the tension overcame all of the above," he added.
Halevi argued that the military could see how complex the situation was in the Gaza conflict. "There may be additional cases in which hostages escape or are abandoned during the fighting, and we have the duty and responsibility to rescue them alive."
"During combat in Shejaiya, the IDF mistakenly identified 3 Israeli hostages as a threat and as a result, fired toward them and the hostages were killed," the Israeli army described the incident in a statement earlier Friday.
It mentioned doubts about the identities of the deceased in the area where the deaths occurred and said searches and checks revealed suspicions.
The army said the bodies were transferred to Israel for examination and after a detailed investigation, the victims were identified as Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Shamriz.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned their deaths Friday calling the incident "an unbearable tragedy."
"Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the fall of three of our dear sons who were taken hostage," Netanyahu wrote on X.
"The entire State of Israel mourns this evening," he said, adding that "necessary lessons" will be learned.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also mourned and described the killings as "painful for every Israeli."
"We must remain resilient and continue operating – for the hostages, for our citizens and for our soldiers," he said.
Meanwhile, family members of Israeli hostages in Gaza rallied Friday near the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv after the announcement of the killings.
