Three Israeli hostages, mistakenly killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, had been holding up a white flag, according to a military official, Reuters reports.
The incident occurred in Shejaiya, an area of intense combat in northern Gaza, where a soldier perceived the hostages, who were without shirts and carrying a stick with a white cloth, as a threat and opened fire, declaring them terrorists.
Two hostages were killed immediately, and the third, wounded, retreated into a building, where he called for help in Hebrew. Despite a ceasefire order, the third hostage was also killed in another burst of fire.
The military official acknowledged that the incident went against their rules of engagement. The incident has stirred emotions in Israel, leading to a protest outside the defense headquarters in Tel Aviv.
