JERUSALEM — Three Israeli hostages who had been mistakenly shot by Israeli troops within the Gaza Strip had been waving a white flag and had been shirtless once they had been killed, an Israeli army official mentioned Saturday.

Anger over the mistaken killings is more likely to enhance strain on the Israeli authorities to resume Qatar-mediated negotiations with Hamas over swapping extra captives for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Hamas has conditioned additional releases on Israel halting its punishing air and floor marketing campaign in Gaza, now in its eleventh week.

The account of how the hostages died additionally raised questions concerning the conduct of Israeli floor troops. Palestinians on a number of events reported that Israeli troopers opened hearth as civilians tried to flee to security.

The army official, who spoke on situation of anonymity to transient reporters according to army rules, mentioned it was probably that the hostages had been deserted by their militant captors or had escaped. The troopers’ habits was “in opposition to our guidelines of engagement,” the official mentioned, and was being investigated on the highest stage.

The three, all younger males of their 20s, had been killed Friday within the Gaza Metropolis space of Shijaiyah, the place troops have engaged in fierce preventing with Hamas militants in current days. They’d been amongst greater than 240 folks taken hostage throughout an unprecedented raid by Hamas into Israel on Oct. 7 through which round 1,200 folks had been killed, principally civilians. The assault sparked the conflict.

Lots of of protesters blocked Tel Aviv’s principal freeway late Friday in a spontaneous demonstration calling for the hostages’ return. The hostages’ plight has dominated public discourse in Israel for the reason that Oct. 7 assault. Their households have led a strong public marketing campaign calling on the federal government to do extra to deliver them residence.

PHOTOS: 3 hostages mistakenly killed by troops had been holding a white flag, Israeli army official says

Hadas Kalderon, whose former companion remains to be held hostage after their two teenage kids had been launched in November, mentioned the Israeli authorities should pay any worth to free all hostages. “To make a deal, now, that’s what I’m saying. Yesterday, not now,” mentioned.

The army official mentioned the three hostages had emerged from a constructing near Israeli troopers’ positions. They had been waving a white flag and had been shirtless, presumably in an effort to sign they posed no risk.

Two had been killed instantly, and the third ran again into the constructing screaming for assist in Hebrew. The commander issued an order to stop hearth, however one other burst of gunfire killed the third man, the official mentioned.

Israeli media gave a extra detailed account. The mass circulation every day Yediot Ahronot mentioned Saturday that in line with an investigation into the incident, a sniper recognized the three hostages as suspects once they emerged from the constructing, regardless of them not being armed, and shot two of the three.

Troopers adopted the third when he bumped into the constructing and hid, shouting at him to return out and at the very least one soldier shot him when he emerged from a staircase, Yediot Ahronot mentioned.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz gave an analogous account primarily based on a preliminary investigation, saying the troopers who adopted the third hostage into the constructing believed he was a Hamas member attempting to drag them right into a entice.

Hamas launched over 100 hostages for Palestinian prisoners throughout a short cease-fire in November. Practically all these freed on either side had been ladies and minors. Talks on additional swaps broke down, with Hamas looking for the discharge of extra veteran prisoners for feminine troopers it’s holding.

Israeli political and army leaders usually say liberating all of the hostages is their high intention within the conflict alongside destroying Hamas. Nonetheless, they argue that their launch can solely be achieved by way of army strain on Hamas, a declare that has sharply divided Israeli public opinion.

After negotiations broke down, Hamas mentioned it should solely free the remaining hostages, believed to quantity greater than 130, if Israel ends the conflict and releases all Palestinian prisoners. As of late November, Israel held practically 7,000 Palestinians accused or convicted of safety offenses, together with tons of rounded up for the reason that begin of the conflict.

The offensive has killed greater than 18,700 Palestinians, the Well being Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza mentioned Thursday earlier than a communications blackout that has hampered phone and web companies within the Gaza Strip. Hundreds extra are lacking and feared useless beneath the rubble.

The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Its newest depend didn’t specify what number of had been ladies and minors, however they’ve persistently made up round two-thirds of the useless in earlier tallies.

Dozens of mourners held funeral prayers Saturday for Samer Abu Daqqa, a Palestinian journalist working for the Al Jazeera community who was killed Friday in an Israeli strike within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis. In accordance with the Committee to Shield Journalists, the cameraman was the sixty fourth journalist to be killed for the reason that battle erupted: 57 Palestinians, 4 Israelis and three Lebanese.

The conflict has flattened a lot of northern Gaza and pushed 85% of the territory’s inhabitants of two.3 million from their houses. Displaced folks have squeezed into shelters primarily within the south in a spiraling humanitarian disaster. Solely a trickle of help has been in a position to enter Gaza and distribution is disrupted by preventing.

Residents in northern Gaza in the meantime reported heavy bombing and the sounds of gunbattles in a single day and into Saturday in devastated Gaza Metropolis and the close by city refugee camp of Jabaliya.

“It was a violent bombardment,” Assad Abu Taha mentioned by cellphone from the Shijaiyah neighborhood. One other resident, Hamza Abu Seada, reported heavy airstrikes in Jabaliya, with continuous sounds of explosions and gunfire.

An Related Press journalist in southern Gaza additionally reported airstrikes and tank shelling in a single day within the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.

The US, Israel’s closest ally, has expressed unease over Israel’s failure to scale back civilian casualties and its plans for the way forward for Gaza, however the White Home continues to supply wholehearted help with weapons shipments and diplomatic backing.

In conferences with Israeli leaders on Thursday and Friday, United States nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned a timetable for winding down the extraordinary fight part of the conflict. U.S. Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin was additionally anticipated to go to Israel quickly to debate the difficulty.

The U.S. has pushed Israel to permit extra help into Gaza, and the federal government mentioned it might open a second entry level to hurry up deliveries.