UPDATE - Israeli army says it 'mistakenly' killed 3 hostages during battles in Gaza

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By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - The Israeli army announced Friday it "mistakenly" killed three Israeli hostages during fighting in Gaza.

Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari described the incident as "tragic" and said the army "bears responsibility" for the incident, according to the Times of Israel news website.

"This is an area where the (Israeli) soldiers encountered many terrorists, including suicide bombers," he said.

He identified two of the hostages who were killed as Yotam Haim and Samer Talalka, but did not identify the third upon request by his family.

The Israeli army said it is opening an investigation to look into the circumstances of the deaths.

The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, is yet to comment on the announcement.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army said it recovered the bodies of two hostages in a military operation that left two soldiers dead and others injured.

Hamas said Nov. 29 that three Israeli hostages, a mother and her two children, were killed in Israeli army airstrikes on Gaza. The group also said Nov. 1 that seven hostages were killed in airstrikes on the Jabalia Refugee Camp in northern Gaza City.

Israel used to describe Hamas' announcements regarding the Israeli hostages in Gaza as part of the group's psychological warfare to pressure the Israeli government to agree on a prisoner swap deal.

Israeli Channel 12 on Monday quoted Hadas Dagan, an Israeli witness, who said Israeli tanks targeted their own citizens and Hamas members on Oct. 7, leading to the death of at least 14 Israelis, including children.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 18,800 Palestinians have since been killed and 51,000 injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stands at 1,200, while more than 130 hostages are still held by the Palestinian group in Gaza, according to official figures.