The Swiss newspaper Le Tan said that the killing of three Israeli prisoners by occupation soldiers in the Shujaiya neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip after they apparently escaped sparked a new wave of anger against the government and damaged the army’s reputation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came out with a serious expression, after he replaced the warlord’s black shirt with a more formal suit, to address the Israelis who were living in a moment of doubt, speaking about the three dead, “They were one step away from freedom when the disaster occurred… That burned my heart… “The whole country is sad.”
The Israeli army immediately explained that “three men came out of a building without shirts and waved a white cloth on the end of a stick. A sniper considered them to be terrorists, felt threatened, and opened fire (…) violating the rules of engagement according to which we operate.”
5 killed in friendly fire
In light of this incident, the informal forum representing the families of Israeli detainees in Gaza decided to intensify pressure on the government, by moving its center of activity to the Kirya Gate, the army headquarters, which forces the members of the War Council to pass by them daily and in front of giant photos of their loved ones “until they present A plan to free all the hostages.
This “unfortunate” incident – as the newspaper says – opened the minds of the Israelis to the chaos that prevails in the Gaza Strip, and to these direct battles that lead to the daily announcement of new losses for the Israeli army, as 20% of the soldiers who died since the start of the ground attack were killed. “Friendly fire.” It is even rumored among reservists that this percentage may be closer to 50%.
“You have to understand that we are fighting an enemy who wears jeans and sneakers, and some of them are suicide bombers with no visible weapons,” says an Israeli army officer.
However, voices denouncing the violence remain rare, and Palestinian victims remain marginalized. Even Noam Peri, whose father is still detained in Gaza, says, “I hug the leaders of the Israeli army, including the soldiers involved in this tragedy. We thank the chief of staff and the directors of Mossad and Shin Bet who They are working day and night to revive the negotiations.”
The newspaper pointed out that Netanyahu, who benefits politically from the continuation of the fighting and is under pressure from his right wing, does not want to change his approach, and says while sharing the content of a letter he received from the families of the soldiers who were killed, “I have received a mandate to fight and not stop in the middle.”
But, according to the newspaper, the situation is getting worse, due to escalating tensions on the border with Lebanon, the closing of the Red Sea, and collapsing international support.
