Israeli army says ‘high probability’ its strike killed three Gaza captives

Army says conclusions of its probe into the deaths of the captives suggest an Israeli air strike likely killed them in November.

After denials for months, the Israeli military says there is a “high probability” its air strike was responsible for the deaths of three Israeli captives in Gaza in November.

The military on Sunday said it was unaware the captives were present in a tunnel in the Palestinian territory when they launched the attack on November 10, 2023.

The bodies of the three captives – Corporal Nik Beizer, Sergeant Ron Sherman and French-Israeli national Elia Toledano – were recovered on December 14. But the cause of death was not determined.

“The findings of the investigation suggest a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an [Israeli army] air strike, during the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10th, 2023,” the military said in a statement.

The military said its investigation revealed that the three captives had been held in a tunnel complex from which Ghandour operated.

“At the time of the strike, the [army] did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound,” the military statement said.

All three captives were among nearly 250 people kidnapped by the Palestinian group Hamas in its October 7 attack inside the Israeli territory.

In its report, the army said “it is not possible to definitely determine the circumstances of their deaths”.

The conclusions could add further pressure on the Israeli government to strike a deal to bring home the remaining captives held by Hamas.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent Hamdah Salhut said the Israeli army’s admission could be “an embarrassment” for the government. Salhut was reporting from Amman, Jordan because Al Jazeera has been banned by the Israeli government.

“There have been a series of significant intelligence and security failures that the military has gone through throughout this war, the most notable of them back in December when the Israeli army shot and killed three captives in the Gaza Strip,” she said.

Salhut said the latest admission by the military “is not being received quite well because there are families of captives calling for a deal, fearing this exact type of thing”.

“It is certainly an embarrassment on all scales, not just politically but security-wise as well, that the army made this admission so many months later.”

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Al Jazeera and news agencies