The tragic incident in which three abductees were killed yesterday by IDF fire arouses understandable public upheaval, but beyond the spotlight on the event itself, it should echo a clear message: every day that passes endangers the lives of the abductees.
The incident itself was a serious malfunction and a blatant violation of the open-fire regulations. Abductees Alon Shamriz, Yotam Haim and Samer al-Talalqa moved shirtless and waved a white flag, meaning they took every possible step to ensure they posed no threat. Nevertheless, one of the soldiers shouted that they were terrorists and opened fire at them. He hit two abductees, and the third, who fled to a nearby building, was shot and killed despite shouting "help" and despite the battalion commander ordering a cease shooting.
Hagari: "The abductees who were killed did everything possible for us to save them" // IDF Spokesperson
This incident raises operational problems of firing ranges and permits to open fire and cease fire, and the necessary distinction between a clear enemy and a potential danger. It also raises ethical problems of frivolous shooting at those who surrender, especially when they are at a distance where they pose no danger to troops. It also raises a problem of coordination and understanding regarding abductees, which requires appropriate guidelines, even if the scenario that materialized on Friday of abductees roaming freely in the middle of the street seems unlikely.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy did well to clarify the obvious yesterday, that the IDF does not shoot anyone waving a white flag. This is important not only vis-à-vis the abductees, but from an expansive perspective: vis-à-vis the world, which accuses Israel of war crimes and may see this incident as proof that Israel harms civilians in Gaza indiscriminately.
90 terrorists detained in IDF takeover of Hamas compound in Jabaliya // IDF Spokesperson
Still, the chief of staff must make sure that the soldiers' finger is not too trigger-light. This is not an easy task, under difficult conditions, in which Hamas makes every effort to harm the soldiers and set traps for them.
Hamas' traps
For those who are quick to judge the force that erred yesterday, it should be mentioned that three days earlier, nine fighters were killed in the same neighborhood, and that there were quite a few incidents of Hamas operatives dressed in civilian clothes trying to blow themselves up at the forces or pull fighters into traps that would enable the abduction of soldiers.
The soldiers who killed the hostages will live with the event forever. This is a terrible tragedy, because after 70 days in brutal captivity, there was a step between the three and freedom. It is unclear how they escaped captivity – whether their captors escaped, were killed or released – and it is doubtful whether the answer will be known. But it was further proof that even in areas where the IDF operates intensively, there are still abductees who, at the very least, must be taken into account when choosing courses of action.
This is particularly important to mention in light of calls to intensify airstrikes prior to ground operations. Abductees who returned said that sometimes these attacks were carried out near them, and there may have also been abductees killed during them. The argument that the life of a kidnapped person is equivalent to the life of a soldier is misplaced in this context: the role of the army is to protect civilians in the country, certainly after the abandonment that took place on 7 October.
Effort to reach abductees
The IDF invests tremendous effort in trying to reach the abductees. This is evidenced by the return of five bodies in recent days. Some were killed during the abduction, and others were probably killed or murdered shortly thereafter. It is estimated that there are dozens more bodies of abductees in Gaza, but there are a larger number of abductees alive. Since so far only one abductee has been released alive through a military operation (Uri Magidish), and 85 abductees have been released through negotiations, one has to wonder whether Israel is indeed turning every stone in order to reach a new outline vis-à-vis Hamas.
Raz Ben Ami, released from captivity: "It's daily humiliation, at some point my medicine ran out" // Headquarters for the families of the abductees
The Mossad chief met the Qatari prime minister in Europe over the weekend in an attempt to spark a new dialogue on the issue. Senior officials estimated that it would take at least a few days before it became clear whether Sinwar wanted a new deal. There are those in Israel who think so, because this will relieve the military pressure on him and get some breathing room. Some think not, because he knows that the abductees are Israel's Achilles' heel – and he wants to pressure it as much as he can.
Sinwar is not in the corner
The defense establishment hopes that the military operation, especially in Khan Yunis, will push Sinwar into a corner. This is a rather naïve approach, because nothing about Sinwar's character is directed there. On the contrary, the Hamas leader knowingly sacrifices his people and his country, and he may sacrifice the abductees as well, and certainly not release them voluntarily.
Israel defined the return of the abductees as one of the two overarching goals of the war, alongside the defeat of Hamas. It must stand behind its commitment in action, and do so with full transparency. In this context, the calls (including from politicians) to refrain from publishing the details of the affair were very worrying. Beyond the stupidity of thinking that in 2023 the truth can be hidden, they have taught that there are those in government circles who believe that it is necessary to lie in order for the public to believe that everything is good.
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