How did the IDF end up killing Israeli hostages?

The Sunday Times: In Gaza, an incident occurred where Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers killed three Israeli hostages. The hostages, Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer Talalka, emerged in northern Gaza with a white flag, having been kidnapped by Hamas on October 7. Despite displaying a white flag, an Israeli marksman opened fire. The IDF claims this action contravened orders prohibiting targeting individuals with white flags and in civilian clothes. This event has further weakened IDF claims of taking precautions to avoid civilian casualties, especially amid the high civilian death toll in Gaza.

A few days before the Israeli hostages were killed, IDF soldiers had found a building near by marked with the words “SOS” in English and “help, three hostages”, according to an officer who briefed the media on the event. They had thought it was a trap.

Another IDF officer called the shooting an “awful mistake” and “dystopian”, adding: “But at the same time, we have seen cases in that area where Hamas have used people in civilian clothes and white flags to lure soldiers into ambushes. It’s an impossible situation”.

The IDF chief of the general staff in the southern command said: “The IDF, and I as its commander, are responsible for what happened, and we will do everything to prevent such incidents from recurring in future combat.” At a press conference on Saturday night Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, said only that the incident had “broken” his heart.

The entire article can be read at the link https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-did-idf-end-up-killing-israeli-hostages-zkk9grjt6