- Efrat Katz was likely killed when a helicopter opened fire on the car that was abducting her.
- The car contained several Hamas fighters.
- The head of the Israeli Air Force said he “found nothing wrong with the operation carried out by the helicopter crew.”
Efrat Katz, an Israeli grandmother, was likely killed by the IDF when Hamas militants infiltrated her kibbutz on October 7, Israeli media report.
Hamas gunmen attempted to kidnap Israeli hostages, including Katz, 68, alongside other Israeli hostages from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
An Israeli Air Force (IAF) helicopter gunship opened fire on a car as fighting unfolded in southern Israel.
The car contained several Hamas fighters, but an investigation revealed that it also contained Israeli hostages.
“As a result of the shooting, most of the terrorists on board the vehicle were killed, including apparently the late Efrat Katz,” the Israeli military said, according to the Times of Israel.
IAF chief Major General Tomer Bar said he “found no fault with the operation of the helicopter crew, which operated according to orders in a complex reality of war”.
Friendly fire incidents on October 7
The remains of a family home, following a deadly infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Kibbutz Beeri, southern Israel, October 17, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
On October 7, 2023, exactly six months ago today, Hamas militants infiltrated the Gaza border and launched a coordinated terrorist attack against Israeli communities.
A previous police investigation indicated that the IDF mistakenly fired on participants at the Nova festival on October 7, Haaretz reported in November.
Hamas militants targeted the psychedelic trance festival near Kibbutz Re’im after crossing the border. They killed 364 participants and kidnapped 40.
A source told Haaretz that an IDF helicopter gunship accidentally hit festival-goers while firing on Hamas militants.
Israeli police objected to the Haaretz report, saying that “the IDF’s actions went beyond the scope of the investigation the source was speaking about,” according to the Times of Israel.
Another friendly fire incident is being investigated at Kibbutz Beeri, in which a house was shelled by a tank, killing 12 Israeli hostages held by Hamas gunmen.
The October 7 incursions into Israel caused around 1,200 casualties, the worst loss of life in a single day since the founding of Israel in 1948, according to Reuters.
More than 240 people were kidnapped and taken captive.
Since the attack by Hamas, Israel’s campaign of retaliation against Gaza has caused the deaths of more than 30,000 Palestinians, reports UNRWA.
UN chief António Guterres said he was “dismayed by the tragic human toll of the conflict in Gaza” and called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.
Business Insider has contacted the Israeli Defense Ministry for comment.
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