The families of Sgt. Ron Sherman, 19, Cpl. Nik Beizer, 19, and civilian Elia Toledano, 28, were reportedly told by IDF officials that an investigation concluded IDF fire caused their deaths. The three were among those kidnapped during the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and their bodies were found in a Hamas tunnel in Jabaliya on December 14.
As of this report, the IDF has not publicly commented on these findings.
This revelation contradicts earlier statements from the IDF.
In January, the military denied Hamas claims that the three were killed in an Israeli airstrike, stating that pathology reports showed no signs of trauma or gunfire on the bodies.
In November, the IDF conducted an airstrike near where the bodies were later found, targeting Ahmed Ghandour, the commander of Hamas's Northern Gaza Brigade. At the time, the IDF said it was unaware of hostages in the area.
The mother of Sgt. Sherman, Dr. Maayan Sherman, had previously suggested her son was killed by poison gas allegedly used by the IDF in the tunnels. In a Facebook post, she accused the government of knowingly endangering the hostages, writing, "Not by Hamas, think more in the direction of Auschwitz and the showers but without Nazis and without Hamas. Not by accidental fire, not by friendly fire, but premeditated murder: bombs with poison gas."
