Israeli President Isaac Herzog will hold a ceremony on Monday afternoon to honor three hostages accidentally killed by Israeli forces while trying to escape Hamas captivity in Gaza.
In December, Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka and Alon Shamriz were tragically killed after they had eluded their captors but were mistakenly identified by Israeli troops as threats amid combat in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaiya.
“Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the death of three of our hostages,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time. “This is an unbearable tragedy and all of Israel is grieving their loss this evening. My heart goes out to the bereaved families at this difficult time.”
During the ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, their families will be presented with certificates of recognition in the name of the State of Israel.
On Sunday, Netanyahu confirmed that Hamas has rejected the latest hostages-for-ceasefire proposal.
“The rejection of the proposal by the three mediators [United States, Egypt and Qatar], which included the most significant flexibility on Israel’s part, proves that [Hamas chief in Gaza Yahya] Sinwar does not want a humanitarian deal and the return of the hostages, is continuing to exploit the tension with Iran and is striving to unite the sectors and achieve a general escalation in the region,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Israel will continue to strive to realize the objectives of the war with Hamas with full force, and leave no stone unturned to return the 133 hostages from Gaza forthwith,” it added.
