News blog about the war in the Middle East
Israeli army accidentally kills three hostages
From afp, dpa, Reuters, das, jcz, lw, sic, te, fho, lec, mam
Updated on December 15, 2023 – 7:54 p.m. Reading time: 29 min.
An Israeli soldier in an armored military vehicle (archive photo): The Israeli army expressed its condolences to the families. (Source: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/dpa-bilder)
Dozens of terrorists have surrendered in Gaza. More hostages were recovered dead. All information in the news blog.
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Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel on October 7 and carried out massacres. Since then, Israel has been attacking targets in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. This news blog informs you about the current developments:
Israeli army accidentally kills three hostages
7:45 p.m.: Israeli soldiers accidentally killed three hostages during fighting in the Gaza Strip. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the armed forces mistakenly identified them as a threat and shot them during an operation in the Hamas stronghold of Shejaiya in the north of the sealed-off coastal strip.
Shortly after the incident, suspicions arose that the dead could have been hostages, says Hagari. The bodies were then brought to Israeli territory for closer examination. It was confirmed that there were three Israeli hostages.
“This is a tragic incident, the army bears full responsibility,” Hagari continued. The military immediately began investigating the incident. Hagari emphasizes that Shejaiya is an “active combat area” where there has been ongoing fighting in recent days. He expressed his condolences to the families of the hostages. According to estimates by the Israeli army, more than 100 of the approximately 240 hostages kidnapped to Gaza are currently still in the hands of Hamas.
Several rockets intercepted over Jerusalem
7.40 p.m.: Several rockets were intercepted over the center of Jerusalem on Friday after an air alert went off. Journalists from the AFP news agency saw two explosions and heard three. According to the Israeli military, alarm sirens sounded in Jerusalem for the first time since October 30th.
Since the beginning of the war between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is supported by the Islamic regime in Iran, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen have also fired rockets at Israel several times. The war was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7th.
Lufthansa wants to fly to Tel Aviv again from January 8th
6 p.m.: Lufthansa wants to resume its flights to Israel, which were suspended due to the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas, on January 8th. In a first phase, four flights per week should be offered from Frankfurt am Main and three flights per week from Munich to Tel Aviv, explains the airline in Frankfurt am Main. Lufthansa suspended its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv on October 9th due to the Middle East war.
Israel’s air force drops leaflets in southern Lebanon for the first time
5:50 p.m.: Israeli planes also dropped warning leaflets to civilians in southern Lebanon for the first time since the Gaza war broke out. Among other things, the leaflets warn civilians not to harbor Hezbollah terrorists. It continues: “The Hezbollah members in the civilian areas are the real danger and will cause you harm.” Lebanese security sources said the leaves were dropped on various locations in the border area with Israel.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war after the massacres by the terrorist organization Hamas in Israel on October 7th, there have been repeated confrontations between Israel’s army and militant groups such as the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Israeli-Lebanese border region. It is the worst escalation since the second Lebanon war in 2006.
Baerbock calls on Hezbollah terrorists and Israel to de-escalate
5:43 p.m.: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorists and Israel to prevent escalation and a conflagration in the region. “Ultimate military restraint and de-escalation is needed from all sides. Everyone must create the space for the effective implementation of Resolution 1701,” demanded the Green politician during a visit by the acting Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib to Berlin. “The situation on the border between Lebanon and Israel is a dangerous powder keg.”
