‘My hero and beloved dog, Ziggy, saved my life and others,’ said the rehabilitating soldier.

By Troy O. Fritzhand, The Algemeiner

Details have emerged of how a dog in one of the IDF’s most elite units saved the lives of six soldiers in Gaza, as the wounded recount the canine’s heroism.

In an interview with Hebrew media, Sergeant N. of the Oketz Unit, a counterterrorism force that uses specially trained dogs for their missions, talked about how his dog Ziggy was killed by two Hamas terrorists in Khan Yunis early in January.

“I entered the house with the force of the 101st Paratrooper and Engineering Battalion. We did a scan on the first floor, I insisted that the devoted dog Ziggy also do a scan on the second floor of the residence. As soon as he came down the staircase of the house in Khan Yunis, the terrorists shot at him, and Ziggy was killed on the spot. He saved my life and the lives of six other fighters who were in the building,” he said.

In the process of the close-range combat, N. and some of his unit mates were injured. He told reporters that currently he is “Hospitalized in the orthopedic department, suffering from a problem with my knee, which received a terrible blow from shrapnel. I got a lot of shrapnel on my left side from a shot, but I am making progress here in the rehabilitation department, and I especially miss my dog ​​Ziggy, who was with me from a very young age… My hero and beloved dog Ziggy, who was close to me for a year and a half, saved my life and the lives of the other fighters.”

Ziggy’s body was brought back to Israel, where it is sitting in a refrigerator for burial as soon as N. and those from his unit have recovered, so they can be present for the funeral. N. added, “I hope I will recover soon, and then I will come with the friends he saved and bring my hero dog to the burial… and, of course, I will return to our amazing unit.”

The IDF’s canine unit is revered around the world, with many countries, such as India, even purchasing some of the dogs to assist their forces. The dogs are specially trained to attack and neutralize terrorists. The dogs are Belgian Shepherds, and have the ability to search for weapons, find explosives, and save people buried under rubble. At the end of their service, the dogs are usually taken by their handlers for civilian life.

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‘I am Yotam’s mother. I wanted to tell you that I love you very much, and I hug you here from afar.’

By Meir Dolev, World Israel News

The mother of a hostage who was tragically killed last weekend by IDF soldiers after being mistaken for a terrorist, wrote a heartrending message of love and forgiveness to the soldiers involved.

Yotam Haim, 28, was among the three hostages – including Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalka – abducted by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7.The three were mistakenly shot dead by IDF troops on December 15, during an operation in which the soldiers misidentified them as a threat.

Iris Haim’s message to the soldiers of the Bislamach Brigade’s 17th Battalion was poignant and forgiving. “I am Yotam’s mother. I wanted to tell you that I love you very much, and I hug you here from afar,” she said.

She absolved the soldiers of blame, directing her anger towards Hamas instead. “I know that everything that happened is absolutely not your fault, and nobody’s fault except that of Hamas, may their name be and memory be wiped off the face of the earth,” Iris Haim continued.

“As soon as you are able to, you are invited to come to visit us, whoever wants to. We want to see you with our own eyes and hug you and tell you that what you did — however hard and sad it is to say this — it seemed to be the right thing in that moment.”

The IDF has launched an investigation into the incident, uncovering new details. It was revealed that during an earlier clash between IDF troops and Hamas militants, one of the hostages was heard shouting for help, indicating their presence in the building. However, this crucial information was not acted upon in time.

Further, the 17th Battalion was not given a briefing by the the Kfir Brigade, which it was replacing, that there had been an SOS call in the form of a sign written in Hebrew using some kind of food and reading, “3 hostages. Help.” It appeared that soldiers from the Kfir Brigade believed it to be a ploy by Hamas to trap soldiers into entering the building.

The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the challenges and risks of military operations in densely populated areas and the need for stringent identification protocols to prevent such tragedies in the future.

The IDF has pledged to refine its operational procedures to prevent fatal errors in the future.

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K9 GoPro footage recorded Alon Shamriz yelling towards the camera, “There are hostages here!” and another hostage calling out his name. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The IDF has recovered GoPro footage in the ruins of Gaza City’s Shijaiyah neighborhood that provides more information about the three hostages who were mistaken for terrorists and killed by IDF soldiers last weekend.

The GoPro camera carried by the K9 (military dog) that was killed in an attack five days before the tragic deaths of the hostages recorded Alon Shamriz, one of the hostages who formerly fought with the Yahalom Unit which regularly works with K9s, yelling towards the camera, “There are hostages here!” and another hostage calling out his name.

Presumably, Alon Shamriz thought it was possible the GoPro footage was being broadcast directly to the IDF.

In the recording, only the voices of the hostages are heard, but none of the hostages are seen.

According to the footage and other evidence, the terrorists holding the three hostages–Samer Talalka, Alon Shamriz and Yotam Haim– were killed in fighting after the K9 entered the building, and the dog was also killed.

The three hostages, freed because the terrorists keeping them in the building were dead, used extra scraps of food to write “SOS” and “Help! 3hostages” signs on the wall.

They also created a makeshift flag out of white fabric, were shirtless, and approached troops crying “help” in Hebrew, but their gestures were mistaken for a terrorist bluff.

In addition, the fact that the hostages wore Adidas leggings and had long beards led soldiers to believe they were the enemy.

An investigation into the event is currently ongoing, and more information is expected to come to light.

The tragic accidental killing of the three hostages has intensified calls to enter into a deal to free the remaining Israeli captives in Gaza.

Israel offered Hamas Monday a week-long humanitarian pause in the Gazan war and more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for some 40 hostages during renewed negotiations with Qatar in Warsaw, Walla reported Tuesday.

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