News of the Israeli troops fatally shooting 3 detained Israelis in the Gaza Strip dominated Israeli media coverage. While some analysts justified the military's error due to the harsh and complex circumstances of military operations in the Shujaiya neighborhood, others called for the necessity to work towards retrieving the detainees alive and establishing a mechanism to achieve this.
The killing of the three detainees provoked angry reactions in Israel. Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said that the incident "shook the entire army," adding that the soldiers who fired the shots acted contrary to the rules of engagement. However, he suggested that "fatigue and stress" might have been to blame.
Talia Lankri, the former deputy head of Israel's National Security Council, stated that despite the challenges posed by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), it does not constitute an existential threat to the State of Israel, especially after the demolition of its military capabilities.
She believes, however, that failing to repatriate the detainees represents a real existential threat to Israel due to the erosion of trust in leadership and the ability to live on that land. She emphasized the importance of continuing to work as hard as possible to reach a situation where detainees can be freed through new agreements.
Channel 12 reported that Moshe Kaplinsky, the former Deputy Chief of General Staff, described the event as tragic and among the "black scenarios" he feared would occur. He pointed out that the incident underscores the difficulty under which the military forces operate and that they should be given the chance to investigate the matter.
Another analyst highlighted that war inevitably comes with difficult flaws and mistakes. The newspaper Haaretz reported that friendly fire killed 13 soldiers, around 10% of the military's announced casualties, indicative of significant operational stress.
Channel 13's military correspondent Alon Ben David described the incident as difficult and horrific, a heartbreaking event with no further words to describe it, representing the clash between the objectives of war — a tragic end.
A New Agreement
Meanwhile, "Raz Matloun," a relative of two of the detainees, stated that the army was successful in rescuing one detainee through military operation while 110 others were released via an agreement. This signifies the need for a new deal to bring back the rest alive.
In remarks to Channel 11, he said, "If they told me that they would start a mechanism for the rescue of the kidnapped by releasing 3 to 5 people, they would eventually reach Yossi and Eli (his detained relatives). I want them to start this mechanism because it is very necessary."
Mirav Lishem, the mother of one of the detainees, contended that everyone must remember that there are detainees alive, each with their own story and suffering under very bad conditions, and they should be returned now. Her grandmother, Devora Lishem, said that we should not wait for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to decide what he wants.
Former head of the Shin Bet security agency and current Minister of Agriculture, Avi Dichter, conveyed to Channel 11 that what happened was a true tragedy of great sensitivity. All detainees that the army managed to reach were dead, and in this event, it was possible to save live abductees, but instead, we received them slain by our own hands.
During the "Al-Quds Tsunami" battle, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, captured 239 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Civilian exchanges for Palestinian prisoners, including children and women, occurred during a temporary humanitarian truce.
