A grandmother taken prisoner in the course of the October 7 assault on Israel was possible killed when an Israeli helicopter, responding to the Hamas-led assault, fired on the automobile through which she was being held, the military Israeli mentioned on Friday.
The revelation of the kidnapping of the grandmother, Efrat Katz, 67, got here on the identical day that Israeli navy officers detailed the failures that led to lethal airstrikes this week on a convoy of assist employees in Gaza.
Ms. Katz's abduction from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 was captured on video that confirmed her squashed into the again of a pickup truck along with her daughter and two grandchildren.
The military mentioned on Friday that an investigation into the actions of the air pressure on October 7 because it responded to the assault discovered that “one of many fight helicopters that participated within the battle shot at a automobile that had terrorists in it” – and that “on reflection”, it additionally took hostages.
“Because of the hearth, many of the terrorists occupying the automobile had been killed, and most certainly, Efrat Katz was additionally killed,” he mentioned in a press release summarizing the outcomes of the investigation.
The helicopter crew has not been discovered responsible, the assertion added, as a result of the hostages within the automobile are usually not distinguishable from the terrorists.
“It is a tragic and unlucky occasion that occurred within the midst of preventing and situations of uncertainty,” mentioned the commander of the aviation, Main Normal Tomer Bar.
Hamas and different Palestinian armed teams took greater than 200 folks prisoner in the course of the October 7 assault. About 100 hostages, principally girls and youngsters, had been freed throughout a ceasefire in November, and not less than one other 30 are believed to have died in captivity, in keeping with Israeli officers.
In December, the Israeli navy mentioned its forces mistakenly killed three hostages in Gaza. The incident precipitated deep misery in Israel, prompting calls for an additional momentary truce and an settlement to permit the discharge of extra hostages. However diplomatic efforts to safe one other pause within the preventing have stalled for months, whilst requires a ceasefire have grown.
