Israeli military chief says more than 1,000 captives taken in Gaza

Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, December 17, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Source: X01833

Israeli forces have taken more than 1,000 people captive in the war against Hamas in Gaza, Israel's military chief said on Sunday.

Addressing soldiers inside the bombarded enclave, Chief of the General Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi said that when combatants "lay down their arms and raise their hands, we arrest them, we don't shoot them"

"We get a lot of intelligence from the captives we have, we already have over a thousand," Halevi said in a video distributed by the military.

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Halevi's comments came after soldiers accidentally shot dead three Israeli hostages who the army says were waving a white flag and trying to be rescued.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters