Israeli military chief admits 'mistakes' as probe finds bombing hit hostages' tunnel in Gaza

Israeli military chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, has admitted that mistakes in the war in the Gaza Strip after an investigation found that airstrikes had hit an area where hostages were kept by Hamas.

An investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has concluded that six hostages, whose bodies were recovered from Gaza’s Khan Younis in August, were likely killed by Hamas terrorists in February as the area was being bombarded by Israel.

However, the investigation said that had Hamas not killed the hostages, they would have been killed by the airstrikes.

The investigation concluded that the hostages were likely shot dead by Hamas as the bodies had gunshot wounds which indicated intentional execution.

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These six hostages have been identified as Alex Dancyg (75), Yagev Buchshtav (35), Chaim Peri (79), Yoram Metzger (80), Nadav Popplewell (51), and Avraham Munder (78). Days after the recovery of these bodies, Israeli military on September 1 found bodies of six more hostages in Rafah, who were executed by Hamas.

What did Israeli investigation found?

The bodies of six hostages were found in a tunnel in the Hamas Town residential complex of Khan Younis on August 20.

The investigation concluded that hostages were killed in February when tunnels in the area were being struck with airstrikes, according to The Times of Israel.

Had they not been shot dead, they would have still likely died of suffocation or a similar cause as the bombings sealed off the tunnel in which they were being held by captors, concluded the probe, according to the newspaper.

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In the same tunnel, the bodies of six Hamas terrorists were also discovered.

The Abu Kabir Forensic Institute found that Hamas personnel did not have any gunshot wounds and were killed as a byproduct of the airstrike, indicating they suffocated to their deaths in the tunnel, according to the newspaper.

While the exact date of the deaths cannot be determined from forensics alone, the newspaper reported that it is likely that hostages were shot dead very shortly before February 14 as the area was bombed on the date.

Initially, the six hostages were held along with a larger group of hostages in an underground command centre where there were proper cages for captives, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Later, they were separated from the group in December, said the newspaper.

‘We have also made mistakes’

After the investigations findings were presented on Wednesday (December 4), IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Halevi said that mistakes have been made in the war in Gaza.

“We have made significant achievements, but they are minor so long as there are other hostages [still in Gaza]. The IDF is confident that the fighting advances their return, but in the context of combat we have also made mistakes [and were] not able to bring these hostages home alive,” said Halevi, according to The Times of Israel.

“It is important for the families of the hostages and the entire public to know that thousands of soldiers and commanders are working to succeed and avoid mistakes in this critical mission. Every mistake that occurred was due to lack of knowledge, and we are committed to learning from these mistakes,” said Halevi.