Amid ceasefire calls, the recent event of the Israeli troops mistakenly killing three hostages points fingers at the military strategy adopted by IDF against Hamas. There were multiple reports of incidents where civilians and Palestinians were targeted by troops amid the Hamas crackdown.
The initial probe launched by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) into the recent hostage deaths revealed that they were holding white flags on the streets before they were shot dead.
The men- Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26- were killed in the Shejaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City. IDF said they were not sure whether the hostages escaped or were abandoned by their captors. During the investigation, the army had found 'SOS' and 'Help, 3 hostages' written on a fabric that was found in a building where they had been staying for a while.
Meanwhile, air strikes has killed at least 100 people in the Jabalia refugee camp. The Jabalia camp has been targeted multiple times by the troops. With Palestinians, almost lacking a safe place in Gaza, surrounded by the Israeli troops there is no place to run off.
The director-general of the Hamas-controlled Ministry in Gaza told CNN that at least 110 people have been killed and dozens more injured during Israeli attacks on Jabalia.
After the hostage incident, IDF chief of staff has reminded the troops that they are "absolutely not" permitted, under the rules of engagement, to shoot unarmed people holding up a white flag in surrender.
General Herzi Halevi told troops that they should take few seconds and if they see people "who do not threaten you, who don't have weapons, who have their hands up."
Meanwhile, four Palestinians were killed on Monday in the Faraa refugee camp south of the West Bank city of Tubas in an ongoing Israeli military raid, the Palestinian health ministry.
Recently, a Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip was attacked and an elderly Christian woman and her daughter had been shot. However, IDF refuted the claim and stressed they "do not target civilians, no matter their religion."
"No reports of a hit on the church, nor civilians being injured or killed, were raised" when church representatives contacted them regarding the incident in the Holy Family Church, army told AFP.
As ceasefire calls intensify, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel for talks. In a speech earlier this month, Austin went as far to call civilians the "center of gravity" in Israel's war with Hamas, Gaza's ruling Palestinian Islamist movement, and warned about the risks of their radicalisation.
