Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
This photo released by the Israel Defense Forces on December 17, 2023, shows signs reading 'SOS' and 'Help, 3 hostages,' that were put up in Gaza by three Israeli hostages who were later mistakenly killed by IDF troops. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF publishes photos showing signs left behind by the three hostages who were mistakenly killed by troops in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood on Friday, on a nearby building.
According to the IDF, the signs reading “SOS” and “Help, 3 hostages” were written on fabric using leftover food.
The building with the signs, a few hundred meters away from Friday’s incident and discovered by troops on Wednesday, was initially dismissed as potentially booby-trapped by Hamas, as the terror group has attempted to lure soldiers into traps in the area in recent days.
This photo released by the Israel Defense Forces on December 17, 2023, shows a sign reading, ‘Help, 3 hostages,’ that was put up in Gaza by three Israeli hostages who were later mistakenly killed by troops. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF says that according to an initial investigation, the three hostages, Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka, and Alon Lulu Shamriz, were in that building for some of the time, after they escaped Hamas captivity or were abandoned by their captors.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military is investigating another building the three hostages may have stayed in.
On Friday, the trio approached soldiers while shirtless and waving a white flag, but were killed by soldiers who mistakenly identified them as a threat and opened fire against regulations.
(From L-R) Hostages Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Lulu Shamriz, who were killed mistakenly by IDF troops in Gaza on December 15, 2023. (Courtesy)
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
