Israel kills its own people captured by Hamas in Gaza, then says sorry; protest erupts in Tel Aviv demanding deal with Hamas

News Network

December 16, 2023

Israeli occupation army, which has invaded Gaza under the pretext of rescuing hostages, has instead brutally killed three of them and then tendered an apology.

Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26, who were captured by Hamas during October 7 operation, were shot and killed by Israeli army.

The military said the three were shot by troops operating in Shejaiya, in Gaza's north.

“During combat in Shejaiya, the IDF mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat. As a result, the troops fired toward them and they were killed,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a news briefing on Friday.

More than 100 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza after being captured in the 7 October operation.

Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv following the announcement and marched to an IDF military base in the city, calling on the government to secure a deal with Hamas for the release of the remaining hostages.

Demonstrators held candles and carried placards that read "Bring [them] home" and "Hostage exchange now!"

The bodies of the three men have been returned to Israeli territory, where checks confirmed their identities.

Families of the hostages said this week they were “shocked” by the announcement by the director of Israeli intelligence agency the Mossad that he was refusing to conduct new negotiations to free them, and demanded an explanation from the authorities.

During a week-long truce in late November, Hamas released more than 100 women, children and foreigners it was holding in Gaza in exchange for the release of 240 women and teenagers Israel had imprisoned, many without charge.

About 240 people were taken hostage when Hamas gunmen breached the separation barrier into Israel on 7 October and reportedly killed 1,200 people, mostly occupying soldiers and illegal settlers.

Israel’s ensuing offensive in Gaza has killed more than 18,700 people, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian officials.

The Israeli government has repeatedly claimed that bringing home all of the hostages is one of its chief war aims. But in seven weeks since ground troops pushed into northern Gaza, troops have not rescued any hostages, though they freed one early in the conflict and have found the bodies of several more.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Association said Israel has detained more than 4,400 Palestinians since 7 October and is holding around half without charge.

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Israel launches new aggression on residential neighbourhood in Lebanon’s capital, many killed

News Network

November 24,2025

Israel has launched a new act of aggression on a residential neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing and injuring about two dozen civilians.

The Israeli regime's military said in a statement that its forces carried out a so-called precise strike in a residential apartment in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.

The aggression targeted residential areas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun condemned the airstrike, calling it a clear demonstration of Tel Aviv’s disregard for repeated international calls to halt violations on Lebanese soil.

“Israel refuses to implement international resolutions and all efforts aimed at ending the escalation and restoring stability,” Aoun said, urging the international community to take action to prevent further aggression.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the attack, holding the international community accountable.

“The international community bears responsibility and continues to provide cover for these attacks as long as it does not restrain the occupiers,” said Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the group’s political bureau.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli army carried out a strike “in the heart of Beirut."

Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation following recommendations from top Israeli security officials.

Two senior US officials commented on the Israeli strike.

The first official said that Israel did not notify Americans in advance about the attack. "We were informed immediately after the strike was carried out."

The second senior official said that the "US knew for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but did not know in advance the timing, location, or target of the strike."

Speaking from the site of the Israeli strike, Lebanese MP Ali Ammar condemned the attack as part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted "all of Lebanon since the Washington-sponsored ceasefire."

He stated that "any attack on Lebanon is a violation of red lines; this aggression is part and parcel of the entity that targets Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty, and security of citizens."

Ammar went on to say the resistance is responding with "utmost wisdom, patience, and will confront the enemy at the appropriate time."

"Unfortunately, the enemy is emboldened to commit its aggression by voices within Lebanon that have turned themselves into tools that support its aggression," he added.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The military claimed the attack targeted “a Hamas training compound” used to plan and carry out attacks against the regime -- a claim that has frequently been made without evidence.

Hamas rejected the allegations as “a blatant lie aimed at justifying the massacre,” stating it had “no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon” and that the targeted site was merely “an open sports field.”

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023.

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