Israeli troops on Friday mistakenly shot to death three hostages in a battle-torn neighborhood of Gaza City, and an Israeli strike killed a Palestinian journalist in the south of besieged territory.
The deaths underscored the ferocity of Israel’s more than 2-month-old onslaught in Gaza, as a U.S. envoy was trying to persuade the Israelis to scale back their campaign sooner rather than later.
The hostages were killed in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where troops have been engaged in fierce fighting with Hamas militants in recent days.
The soldiers mistakenly identified the three Israelis as a threat and opened fire on them, said the army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.
Hamas and other militants abducted more than 240 people in their Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, and the hostages’ plight has dominated public discourse ever since. Their families have led a powerful public campaign calling on the government to do more to bring them home.
Demonstrations in solidarity with the hostages and their families take place nearly every day.
Israeli political and military leaders often say freeing all the hostages is their top aim in the war alongside destroying Hamas.
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