Supreme Court says state should expedite decision on recognizing slain hostage Alon Shamriz as fallen soldier

The Supreme Court hears a petition from the family of hostage Alon Shamriz, who was mistakenly killed by IDF troops in Gaza in December after he and two others managed to escape their captors, on a request to have him recognized as a fallen soldier.

The judges tell the state that it must hasten to make a decision on the matter “to allow the family peace of mind and justice.”

Shamriz, 26, was abducted by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, along with Yotam Haim, 28. They were held captive with Samar Fouad Talalka, 24, who was abducted from Nir Am.

“We left the hearing encouraged. We feel that the judges are giving their support and urge the state to set a final date for the decision,” Alon’s brother Yonatan says. “In light of the judges’ comments, we demand and expect the defense minister and the army to make the just decision immediately.”

Last December, Shamriz, Haim and Talalka were shot dead by IDF troops in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaiya as they tried to reach safety, after they were mistaken by troops for Hamas gunmen.

Days earlier, Shamriz was recorded by a GoPro camera mounted on a dog from the military’s Oketz canine unit, which had been sent into a Gaza City building during a gun battle. In the recording, he can be heard calling for help and identifying the trio as hostages.

The IDF said that it believes the three of them “fled or were abandoned by the terrorists who held them captive” as IDF forces closed in, and noted that troops had not encountered any civilians in the war-torn area of the Strip in some time.

After the three were killed, the IDF released images they apparently left behind which read “SOS” and, in Hebrew, “Help, 3 hostages.” The signs were written on fabric using leftover food.

Shamriz’s family believe his experience as an elite soldier led to the survival of the three hostages for a number of days in war-torn Gaza, and note that he had been called up for reserve duty on October 7.

They have said they will not put a headstone on his grave until he is buried in a military cemetery.