Military Shooting by Israel Kills 2 Residents in Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023
TRIBUNNEWS.COM – After 15 months of conflict in Gaza, the Israeli military has finally admitted to killing two of its own residents in a tragic incident on October 7, 2023.
According to a report from the Jerusalem Post, on that day, an attack by Hamas led the Israeli military to shoot two of its residents, Tomer Eliaz Arava and Dikla Arava, who were from the Nahal Oz kibbutz.
The Israeli military investigation revealed that Hamas fighters had broken into the Arava family’s home and fired shots into the safe room where the family was taking shelter. Tomer managed to escape from their home but was later shot by Israeli security forces in the area.
On the other hand, Dikla was killed in her car due to Israeli army gunfire, which claimed that she was in the vehicle with Hamas fighters.
Following the incident, the situation in Gaza continued to deteriorate with around 250 people detained during the Al-Aqsa Storm operation launched by Hamas.
Although 105 prisoners were released during a ceasefire in November, pressure to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas has been increasing.
### Negotiations for Ceasefire Development
Negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are ongoing, although there has been no significant progress.
On January 10, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an urgent meeting with his defense minister after Qatar delivered a positive message from Hamas regarding willingness to negotiate.
Sources from the Palestinian side stated that both parties were at their closest point to reaching an agreement since the negotiations began.
Amid these efforts, the Middle East envoy from the Donald Trump administration, Steve Witkoff, flew to Doha, Qatar to expedite the negotiations.
Officials from Trump’s administration expressed their desire to reach an agreement before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
### Death Toll in Gaza
According to a study published in the medical journal The Lancet, the death toll in Gaza during the first nine months of the conflict is estimated to be much higher than the official figures.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that as of June 30 last year, the death toll stood at 37,877.
However, the study estimated that the Israeli military killed between 55,298 and 78,525 people between October 2023 and June 2024.
The best estimate from the study recorded around 64,260 casualties, indicating that the official figures may be less than the actual number by up to 41 percent.
To date, the official figures from the ministry report 46,000 deaths in Gaza.
