“New Information About Serious Omission in Gaza Strip Abduction Case”
In the aftermath of the tragic shooting of three abductees in Gaza – Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer El-Talalka, new information has come to light about a significant omission in the handling of the situation.
Reports indicate that the commander of the intelligence system for locating the abductees, under the command of Major General Nitzan Alon, conveyed to the Southern Command and relevant divisions that the three abductees were apparently together in the Sajaiya area. It was believed that they were held captive by Hamas, and the update was intended to make the forces aware that they were operating in an area where there might be abductees.
However, despite this information, the troops did not go to the field in search of the abductees. Security officials have suggested that had the junior commanders understood the possibility of abductees in the area, they would have acted differently and informed senior command.
The tragic incident occurred when Haim, Shamriz, and El-Talalka were mistakenly identified as terrorists and shot to death, despite carrying a white flag and in violation of the IDF’s opening fire instructions. The soldiers claimed to have felt threatened and opened fire, hitting two of the abductees while the third ran into a building. Despite a faint cry for help in Hebrew, one of the abductees was shot again and killed when he emerged from the building.
This new information raises serious concerns about the handling of the situation and the failure to act on critical intelligence that could have prevented the tragic outcome. As the investigation continues, questions about the response of the IDF and the oversight of the mission in Gaza will likely be addressed.