Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer El-Talalqa, all in their 20s, were shot during the operations.
They were part of approximately 250 people taken hostage during Hamas's October 7 attacks in Israel, resulting in about 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.
In response, Israel launched a massive military offensive to destroy Hamas and secure the release of hostages. This offensive has caused significant destruction in the Gaza Strip.
The territory's health ministry, run by Hamas, reports that the war has led to at least 18,800 deaths, primarily women and children.
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that during fighting in the Shejaiya district of Gaza City, troops "mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat, fired toward them, and the hostages were killed."
The military has initiated a review of the incident, and "immediate lessons from the event have been learned" and conveyed to all troops on the ground.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described their deaths as an "unbearable tragedy." Subsequently, hundreds gathered outside the Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv, urging the government to secure the release of the 129 hostages still held in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
“I am dying of fear,” said Merav Svirsky, sister of Hamas-held hostage Itay Svirsky. “We demand a deal now.”
In November, a one-week truce saw more than 100 hostages freed in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails, but fighting has since resumed.
The hostages’ deaths have heightened already fierce scrutiny of how Israel is conducting its ground and air assault in Gaza.
The White House, which provides billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, has voiced growing concern over mounting civilian deaths.
“I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives — not stop going after Hamas, but be more careful,” said US President Joe Biden this week.
News platform Axios said the director of Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, David Barnea, was due to meet this weekend in an unspecified location in Europe with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Axios said the officials would discuss resuming negotiations for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
