Former Commander Reveals: Israeli Army Fire Killed Captives in Northern Gaza

December 9, 2025

Al-Qassam fighters hand over three Israeli detainees in Saraya Square. (Photo: via QNN)

The commander said that many of the captives, who arrived alive in Gaza, died in Israeli strikes targeting buildings where they had been held.

A former Israeli military commander reportedly said on Tuesday that the majority of captives held in Gaza were killed in army fire.

“Israeli fire killed most of the hostages (captives) in Jabalia due to intelligence gaps,” Nitzan Alon, a former Israeli negotiator, told the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, according to the Anadolu news agency.

Alon stated that many of the captives, who arrived alive in Gaza, died in Israeli strikes targeting buildings where they had been held.

He said that three Israeli captives were killed in an Israeli attack in December 2023 due to “incorrect assumptions on the ground,” without providing further details.

“The fear caused by our airstrikes was repeatedly mentioned in the hostages’ testimonies,” the former commander added.

Final Remains Handed Over

Throughout the two years of Israel’s military assault on the enclave, Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, repeatedly broadcast video clips of Israeli captives in which they called on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to stop the strikes that endangered their lives. Tel Aviv ignored those appeals, Anadolu said.

Regarding the protests held by families of Israeli captives, Alon said that “they had much less impact on the negotiations than many claimed.”

A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on October 10 under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan. Phase one of the deal included the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Second Phase of Deal

Israel ties the start of negotiations for launching the second phase of the ceasefire agreement to receiving the bodies of all its captives. It claims that the remains of one Israeli captive are still in Gaza, while Hamas says it has handed over all 20 Israeli captives who were alive and the remains of all 28 who were killed.

In return for each Israeli body, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians killed during the two-year military assault on the enclave. Many of the Palestinian bodies returned showed signs of severe torture, starvation, medical neglect, and, in some cases, strangulation.

According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, an additional 9,500 Palestinians remain missing, believed to be buried under the rubble following months of Israeli bombardment.

Since the ceasefire came into effect, Israel has killed 377 Palestinians and injured 987 more, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Rising Death Toll

The total death toll since Israel’s genocidal operation began on October 7, 2023, has risen to 70,366  and 171,064 injuries. Thousands are still missing.

In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.

Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

(Anadolu, PC)