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Mother of Israeli hostage issues forgiving message to IDF soldiers who accidentally shot her son

Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim, invites soldiers to her home and tells them: ‘I love and appreciate you. I have no anger’

December 21, 2023 11:45
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Iris and Yotam (Photo: Family issue)
1 min read

The mother of an Israeli hostage mistakenly killed by IDF soldiers has said that she and her family love them and does not blame them for his death.
Yotam Haim was among three hostages mistaken for terrorists and accidentally killed by the IDF in Gaza earlier this month.

Yotam and two other hostages approached a group of IDF soldiers, seeking to be rescued in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighbourhood but the soldiers fired as they came near, killing all three.
Now his mother Iris recorded a message on Wednesday for the soldiers who killed him by accident. 

Addressing soldiers of the Bislamach Brigade’s 17th Battalion, Iris said: “I wanted to tell you that I love you very much, that I hug you here from afar, and I know that what happened is not your fault at all. I ask you to take care of yourself”.

She said the soldiers "are doing the best thing in the world that can help us, as the people of Israel. We all need you healthy”.