Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday to express their anger and grief over the deaths of three hostages who were mistakenly killed by the Israeli military in Gaza. The hostages, Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka, and Alon Shamriz, were holding a white flag when they were shot by a soldier who thought they were Hamas militants.
The protesters demanded that the government take responsibility for the incident and negotiate a deal to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Among the speakers at the rally was Raz Ben Ami, who was freed from captivity last month¹[1]. She said she had warned the government that military operations in Gaza were endangering the hostages' lives.
The incident has also raised questions about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's motives for continuing the war in Gaza, which began on October 7 after Hamas abducted several Israelis from their homes. Some analysts and lawmakers have suggested that Netanyahu is using the war to prolong his political career and avoid accountability for the crisis.
Netanyahu has expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and ordered an inquiry into the incident. He has also hinted at the possibility of new talks with Hamas to secure the hostages' release. However, he faces the challenge of balancing the security and humanitarian concerns of the war with the public pressure for a swift and peaceful resolution.
