Israel-Palestine Escalation
Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with Hamas movement's troops infiltrating border areas. On October 8, the Israeli government announced that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country was officially in a state of war.

IDF Admits Potential Guilt in Killing Three Israeli Hostages in Gaza Strip in November 2023

© AP Photo / Israel Defense ForcesThis photo released by the Israeli military on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, shows ground operations inside the Gaza Strip
This photo released by the Israeli military on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, shows ground operations inside the Gaza Strip - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 15.09.2024
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TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday it finalized the probe into the circumstances of killing three hostages in the Gaza Strip in November 2023, adding they most probably had died due to an Israeli air strike.
Earlier in September, Israeli media reported that three Israeli hostages found in the Gaza Strip in December 2023 had died due to the Israeli airstrike on Palestinian fighters in the enclave. Later, the Jewish state rejected media accusations concerning covering up data of the IDF's involvement in hostage deaths.

“The findings of the investigation suggest a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike, during the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10, 2023. This is a high-probability assessment based on all of the available information, but it is not possible to definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths,” the IDF said in a statement.

FILE - A Palestinian flag is seen with the background of a section of the wall in the Philadelphi corridor between Egypt and Gaza, on the background, near the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 01.09.2024
Hamas Accuses Israel of Hostage Deaths in Gaza
The conclusions were made based on all the data, including the location of where the bodies were found, forensic experts' conclusions, and research into the effectiveness of the ammunition used, among the others, the military officials said.

“The investigation indicates that the three hostages were held in the tunnel complex from which Ghandour operated. At the time of the strike, the IDF did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound. Furthermore, there was information suggesting that they were located elsewhere, and thus the area was not designated as one with suspected presence of hostages,” the statement read.

The Israeli data shows there are still 101 hostages held by Hamas, including those considered dead. Through a number of operations and humanitarian efforts, over 150 people were returned from Hamas captivity.
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