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ConflictsMiddle East

Israel-Hamas war: Killed hostages were 'holding white flag'

Published December 16, 2023last updated December 17, 2023

The three hostages who were mistakenly shot dead by the IDF in the Gaza Strip were carrying a stick with a makeshift white flag, according to the Israeli military. DW has the latest.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aEn6
Women take part in a performance at HaBima Square in central Tel Aviv, advocating for an immediate peace agreement
The killing of the hostages could ramp up pressure on the Israeli government to make a deal with HamasImage: Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images//abaca/picture alliance
Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

  • The Israeli military says hostages killed by the IDF were holding a white flag
  • Hundreds have gathered in Tel Aviv to protest over the hostage killings
  • Palestinians mourn slain Al Jazeera journalist Samer Abu Daqqa during Gaza funeral  
  • Germany has dispatched over 7 metric tons of medical aid for Gaza

This live updates article has been closed. For the latest developments on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, please join us here.

Skip next section Israeli soldier killed in drone attack near Lebanese border
December 17, 2023

Israeli soldier killed in drone attack near Lebanese border

One Israeli soldier was killed and two others were wounded near the border with Lebanon, Israel's army said.

Germany's DPA news agency described the incident as a drone attack, citing the Israeli military. 

"Sergeant Major (reservist) Yehezkel Azaria, from Petah Tikva... fell during an operational activity in the Margaliot area, aged 53 at the time of his death," the army said in a statement late on Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had reported the incursion earlier in the day, saying that air defenses "intercepted a hostile aircraft that crossed from Lebanon into Israel" and that "an additional hostile aircraft that crossed from Lebanon was identified and fell in Margaliot."

The IDF struck targets in Lebanon in response, it added.

Since October 8, the day after the war started with terror attacks by the Islamist-militant group Hamas in southern Israel that killed 1,200, the border to Lebanon has seen deadly exchanges of fire, mainly between the IDF and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which says it is acting in support of Hamas.

Hamas is classified as a terror organization by Israel, Germany, the United States and other governments. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Shiite political party and militant group in Lebanon. Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aFyX
Skip next section Netanyahu hints at Gaza talks, defiant on eradicating Hamas
December 16, 2023

Netanyahu hints at Gaza talks, defiant on eradicating Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at possible fresh talks with Hamas over the war in Gaza.

During a news conference on Saturday evening, Netanyahu said he had told Israeli negotiators that the military offensive had helped efforts to clinch a partial hostage release deal in November.

"The instruction I am giving the negotiating team is predicated on this pressure, without which we have nothing," he said.

Out of more than 200 hostages captured by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, around 130 are still being held in Gaza. Hamas is deemed a terror group by the US, Germany, EU and others. 

The prime minister spoke after it was announced that the chief of Israel's intelligence agency Mossad had met on Friday the prime minister of Qatar, a country with links to Hamas. Qatar had helped mediate the last hostage release deal. 

Netanyahu, however, repeated his stance that Israel is in an "existential war" that "must be fought until victory" despite personal costs and international pressure.

"We are determined to continue to the very end, until we have eliminated Hamas and until we have brought our hostages home...," he said.

The prime minister also recounted a meeting Saturday with the relatives of the three hostages killed by accident by the Israel Defense Forces a day earlier.

Hostages carried makeshift white flag: DW’s Rebecca Ritters

"I told them that I know that the pain is like a dagger in your heart. But they [the hostages] didn't die in vain. We will continue fighting until we achieve victory," Netanyahu said.

He vowed that after Hamas' defeat, Gaza would be demilitarized and kept under Israeli security control.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aFvK
Skip next section Gaza telecoms largely offline for over 48 hours, says web observatory
December 16, 2023

Gaza telecoms largely offline for over 48 hours, says web observatory

The Gaza Strip is experiencing the longest sustained telecoms blackout since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7.

Metrics from Netblocks, an observatory that tracks cybersecurity and digital governance, show that much of Gaza has been without telecommunications connectivity for more than 48 hours.

According to Netblocks, barely 6% of users in the Rafah district, 22% of users in Deir al-Balah district and less than a third of users in Khan Younis district have mobile and internet services.

Netblocks wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the blackout is likely to "significantly limit visibility into events on the ground" in Gaza.

On Thursday, Netblocks wrote that Gaza was seeing its sixth near-total telecommunications blackout since the start of the conflict.

It said providers were struggling to maintain service amidst ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Israel began its military operation against Hamas in Gaza after the militant group carried out terror attacks on Israel on October 7. 

https://p.dw.com/p/4aFu7
Skip next section List of shipping firms avoiding Red Sea grows longer
December 16, 2023

List of shipping firms avoiding Red Sea grows longer

Hapag Lloyd's Al Jasrah container ship at a port in Hamburg, Germany
Hapag Lloyd's Al Jasrah was hit by a missile on FridayImage: Axel Heimken/picture alliance/dpa

The Italian-Swiss Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and France's CMA CGM said on Saturday they were suspending passage through a Red Sea strait vital for global trade after Iran-backed Houthis attacked vessels in the area.

The decision comes a day after two of the world's largest shipping companies, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, announced a similar move.

The Liberian-flagged MSC Palatium III was attacked on Friday with a drone in the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen at the southern end of the Red Sea, according to the Houthis.

Hapag Lloyd's Liberian-flagged vessel Al Jasrah was also hit by a missile Friday, the US military said.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have been targeting vessels to pressure Israel over its war with Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Many ships traverse the Red Sea to use the Suez Canal which leads to the Mediterranean Sea. Going this route saves time and the expense of circumnavigating Africa.

The recent attacks have sparked insurance premiums for shipping firms.

Earlier on Saturday, a US warship shot down 14 suspected attack drones over the Red Sea.

The UK government said one of its destroyers had brought down a suspected attack drone nearby.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aFsZ
Skip next section Hostage families call for Israel to 'stop the fight'
December 16, 2023

Hostage families call for Israel to 'stop the fight'

Ruby Chen, father of hostage Itay, lifts an hourglass as he delivers a statement to the media in Tel Aviv, Israel on December 16, 2023
Relatives of hostages captured by Hamas gathered in Tel Aviv again on SaturdayImage: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images

The accidental killing of three Israeli hostages by the Israeli military in Gaza was uppermost in the minds of the families of those still being held captive by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday.

At a gathering in Tel Aviv organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the relatives called for Israel to end the conflict and make a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

"We only receive dead bodies. We want you to stop the fight and start negotiations," Noam Perry, daughter of hostage Haim Perry, said.

Another relative, Ruby Chen, father of 19-year-old captive soldier Itai said: "We feel like we're in a Russian roulette game [waiting to find out]) who will be next in line to be told of the death of their loved one."

Israeli government comes under pressure

The Times of Israel spoke to Dany Elgarat, whose brother Yitzhak is being held by Hamas. Elgarat said he blamed the Israeli government for the accidental killing of the hostages, not the soldiers who shot them.

He vowed to "set up an encampment" outside a nearby military base until there is "an Israeli plan [for a swap with Hamas]."

Raz Ben Ami, who was freed during last month's temporary truce, said she won't give up until her husband, Ohad, is also released.

"A military operation alone will not save the lives of the hostages," she told the Times of Israel. "You promised you’d return the hostages alive, what are you waiting for?"

Around 240 people were taken hostage during Hamas' October 7 terror attacks on Israel. More than 130 are still being held captive in Gaza.

Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and EU, among others. 

https://p.dw.com/p/4aFgm
Skip next section Funeral held for killed Al Jazeera cameraman
December 16, 2023

Funeral held for killed Al Jazeera cameraman

Mourners attend the funeral of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa
The Committee to Protect Journalists says Samer Abu Daqqa is the 64th journalist to have died in the Israel-Hamas warImage: Bassam Masoud/REUTERS

A funeral was held on Saturday for a cameraman for the Al Jazeera broadcaster, who was killed on Friday in an airstrike in southern Gaza.

Dozens of journalists took part in the procession of sending off Samer Abu Daqqa, whose body was carried through the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israel has intensified its military operations.

The body of the slain journalist was carried with his bullet-proof vest and helmet lain on top. He was buried in a grave which his fellow journalists dug.

Abu Daqqa was reporting from a school in Khan Younis when it was hit by a drone strike, Al Jazeera said. His mother accused Israel of targeting journalists, "especially those working for Al Jazeera."

The Qatari outlet has unusual access to Gaza in the midst of the fighting.

The Israeli army told the French AFP news agency it takes "operationally feasible measures" to protect both civilians and journalists in Gaza.

"Given the ongoing exchanges of fire, remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks," it said.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aFG0
Skip next section Israeli hostages shot dead were 'holding white flag,' IDF says
December 16, 2023

Israeli hostages shot dead were 'holding white flag,' IDF says

The three Israeli hostages who were mistakenly shot dead by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip were carrying a stick with a makeshift white flag at the time of the incident, an Israeli military spokesperson said, according to Reuters, Spanish news agency EFE and Israeli media.

The incident happened in an area of intense combat where Hamas militants operate in civilian attire and use deception tactics, he said. The hostages were aged 25 to 28 years.

The soldier who shot at the hostages believed the men were moving toward him as an attempt by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to lure IDF soldiers into a trap, the IDF official said.

Israeli hostages killed by IDF were 'holding white flag'

The official also said that soldiers had found a poster with the letters SOS on a nearby building.

They were all shirtless, and one was carrying a makeshift white flag. The soldier immediately opened fire and shouted "terrorists" to alert the other forces, the Times of Israel reported.

According to Israeli media, the probe concluded that the soldier killed two hostages, while the third was hurt and retreated back into the building, calling for help in Hebrew. At that point, the battalion commander is said to have ordered a cease-fire.

The third hostage later came out and was shot dead by another soldier.

"This was against our rules of engagement," Reuters cited the IDF official as saying. The officer said both soldiers who opened fire, killing the three hostages, did so against protocol.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aFFg
Skip next section UK shoots down 'suspected attack drone' in the Red Sea
December 16, 2023

UK shoots down 'suspected attack drone' in the Red Sea

A UK destroyer has brought down "a suspected attack drone" in the Red Sea, Defense Minister Grant Shapps said Saturday.

The ship has been deployed following the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hamas and the seizure of an Israeli-linked cargo vessel by Yemeni Houthi rebels in the Red Sea last month. 

"Overnight, HMS Diamond shot down a suspected attack drone which was targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea. One Sea Viper missile was fired and successfully destroyed the target," Shapps said in a statement posted on social media.

HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, is carrying out operations to "bolster international efforts to maintain maritime security," Shapps' statement added.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have intensified attacks on ships in the area in recent weeks, including a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aFEz
Skip next section German air force flight en route to Egypt with medical supplies for Gaza
December 16, 2023

German air force flight en route to Egypt with medical supplies for Gaza

A German air force plane carrying medical supplies for patients from Gaza took off for Egypt on Saturday.

The German Foreign Ministry is "bringing medical equipment to support the treatment of patients and infants," the Luftwaffe posted on social media.

The German government wants to use the special flight to transport relief supplies to Cairo, where they can be used to treat people from the Gaza Strip.

According to German news agency DPA, some 7.6 metric tons (8.4 US tons) of supplies — mainly consisting of ventilators and incubators for babies — were loaded onto the plane on nine palettes.

The Foreign Ministry said the value of the aid in this first delivery was €1.4 million ($1.53 million).

Further deliveries are expected to bring more medical supplies for Palestinians, with the value reaching up to €2 million.

Egypt has been taking in those in need of urgent care from Gaza since shortly after the conflict broke out.

Last month, however, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said medical relief for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip should be concentrated within the besieged enclave.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aF4B
Skip next section Gaza: Dire situation for refugees in Al-Mawasi region
December 16, 2023

Gaza: Dire situation for refugees in Al-Mawasi region

With Israel continuing airstrikes against Hamas militants across the Gaza Strip, many people have fled to the region of Al-Mawasi in the south of the strip. Declared a "safe zone" by the Israeli military, people who arrived there looking for shelter have said it lacks the most basic necessities.

Dire situation for Gaza evacuees in Al-Mawasi region

https://p.dw.com/p/4aEyA
Skip next section Kerem Shalom crossing opening important but not enough, journalist tells DW
December 16, 2023

Kerem Shalom crossing opening important but not enough, journalist tells DW

The Israeli decision to allow goods into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom border crossing for the first time since the start of the war is an "important" one, though not enough, Gazan journalist Hazem Balousha said.

Speaking to DW on Saturday from Amman, Jordan, where he is now based after fleeing the war, Balousha explained that the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza was not designed for goods to cross.

The Rafah crossing was the only access point in and out of Gaza during the war until the opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing.

"It's important to have a flow of goods into Gaza," Balousha said, stressing that "Gazans are in desperate need of food, water and other supplies."

Balousha said, however, that the number of trucks allowed into the strip is insufficient, citing international organizations including the United Nations. 

"We're talking about at least 1 million in the south that are receiving this aid, and still the number of trucks is limited to 200," he said. Balousha added that the categories of the items delivered fall short of meeting the needs of the Gazans.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aEx2
Skip next section Hundreds gather in Tel Aviv to protest hostage killings
December 16, 2023

Hundreds gather in Tel Aviv to protest hostage killings

People protest following an announcement by Israel's military that they had mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages being held in Gaza
The crowd was heard chanting slogans, demanding that the remaining hostages be brought homeImage: Violeta Santos Moura/REUTERS

Scores of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest the death of the three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza, according to media reports.

Local media reports and images on television showed protesters blocking a main street in the center of the city, demanding the government take immediate action to secure the release of the hostages.

"Their time is running out! Bring them home now!" the crowd was heard chanting, according to a report by The Times of Israel. "There is no victory until every last hostage is released!" was also heard.

The demonstrators carried placards with pictures of the hostages as they marched toward the Israeli military headquarters, DPA news agency reported.

Some protesters criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for not doing enough to secure their release. Several pressed for another hostage deal, as was implemented at the end of November as part of a brief cease-fire. 

Of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 terror attacks in southern Israel, 110 were returned as part of the cease-fire arrangement, along with several Russian-Israelis and Thai nationals and a Filipino freed in separate deals. 

Israel, the US, Germany, the EU and other governments designate Hamas a terror organization.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aEoA
Skip next section Netanyahu says accidental hostage killing 'an unbearable tragedy'
December 16, 2023

Netanyahu says accidental hostage killing 'an unbearable tragedy'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they accidentally killed three hostages during fighting in Gaza on Friday. 

"This is an unbearable tragedy, and all of Israel is grieving their loss this evening," Netanyahu said. "My heart goes out to the bereaved families at this difficult time.

"I strengthen our courageous soldiers engaged in the sacred mission of bringing home our hostages while risking their lives in doing so," he added. "Today, on this painful evening, we will dress our wounds, learn the lessons and continue the most important effort of bringing all the hostages home."    

Some 130 hostages remain in Gaza amid Israel's operation against Hamas, which is designated a terror organization by the US, Germany, EU and others. 

Israeli army 'mistakenly' kills 3 hostages in Gaza

The Israeli military mistakenly killed three hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza during an intense battle, a military spokesperson said on Friday, after perceiving them as a threat. "As a result, the troops fired toward them and they were killed."

Israel identified the three dead as Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Al-Talalka 25, and Alon Shamriz, 26.

"Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the death of three of our dear sons who were kidnapped," Netanyahu said in his statement.

The incident marks the ferocity of Israel's war on Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 terror attacks in southern Israel that left 1,200 dead. The US government described the incident as "heartbreaking" and "tragic" and said it assumed the Israeli government would investigate how it happened. 

Hamas hostages suffered severe abuse: psychiatrist

mk/sms (AP, Reuters, AFP, DPA)

https://p.dw.com/p/4aEn7