Father of Israeli hostage mistakenly killed by IDF speaks out: ‘You murdered my son twice’

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CIA working with Israeli officials to secure another hostage deal with Hamas

Correspondent Trey Yingst reports the latest from Tel Aviv. 

The father of one of the three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by the IDF in Gaza grieved and lashed out at Israel’s leaders on Tuesday.

Avi Shamriz’ son, Alon, was killed along with two other Israeli hostages after they apparently escaped from Hamas custody and attempted to surrender to Israeli forces. IDF forces mistook them for Hamas terrorists and opened fire.

“I’m going to say this [to] the government. You murdered my son twice,” the distraught father told NBC News. “You let Hamas take my son on Oct. 7, and you killed my son on Dec. 14.”

Shamriz’ message comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to engage in another round of hostage negotiations with Hamas. Israel believes there are over 100 hostages still in Hamas custody, though it is unclear how many of them remain alive.

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TOPSHOT – Relatives and friends, including the father Avi (2nd-R), mourn as they gather for the funeral of Alon Shamriz, mistakenly killed by Israeli forces in Gaza earlier in the week after being held by Hamas since the October 7 attack, in kibbutz Shefayim near Tel Aviv.

Senior members of Netanyahu’s government have accepted blame for the lack of vigilance that allowed the Oct. 7 massacre to occur. His administration argues that the war in Gaza must continue, lest Hamas make good on its promises to repeat its atrocities.

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“They are not thinking about the hostages. They are not thinking about us,” Shamriz said of Netanyahu’s government. “They are thinking only of themselves.

The father of one of the three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by the IDF in Gaza grieved and lashed out at Israel’s leaders on Tuesday. (John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has warned that the war against Hamas is likely to last many more months. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Israel on Monday to urge Israel to scale back its war after the end of December.

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President Biden’s administration is also pushing Israel to re-open hostage negotiations with Hamas in Qatar. CIA Director William Burns and Mossad chief David Barnea met in Qatar earlier this week, but there has been little progress toward a new deal.

Shamriz’ message comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to engage in another round of hostage negotiations with Hamas. (FOX News/Hannity)

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Hamas terrorists broke off the initial exchange agreement in early December, launching a series of attacks and refusing to hand over certain hostages.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.