Watan-The Israeli occupation army retrieved the bodies of soldiers Ron Sherman and Nick Baizer, along with civilian Ilya Toldano, from one of the tunnels in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip. The three had been captured by the Palestinian resistance on October 7th.
The killing of the three captives raised numerous difficult and troubling questions among Israelis, prompting demands for official clarification on what occurred, according to Haaretz newspaper.
Maayan Sherman, the mother of Israeli soldier Ron, accused the Israeli occupation army of killing her son with toxic gas pumped into the tunnel. She stated, “My son was indeed killed, but not by Hamas, not in accidental friendly fire, not in a crossfire; he was killed with premeditation and determination through shelling with toxic gases.”
She added that her son’s fingers were found pulverized, possibly due to his desperate attempts to escape the gas-filled grave.
She continued, “Ron was captured due to criminal negligence by all responsible for the corrupt army and government, who ordered his elimination to settle scores (with Hamas).”
Official response from the Israeli occupation army
The Israeli occupation army responded to the accusations by Ron’s mother, stating that it was not possible to determine the cause of the three captives’ deaths. They added that at this stage, it cannot be ruled out or confirmed whether they were killed due to suffocation, strangulation, poisoning, the consequences of an Israeli army attack, or an operation by Hamas, according to their claim.
Haaretz responds to the Israeli occupation army
Haaretz commented on the statements of the Israeli occupation army, stating that they represent evasion and avoidance, aiming to “silence the discussion and raise doubts about the family’s statements,” which they did not directly deny.
They added that the army spokesperson’s escape from Ron’s mother’s accusations should not be accepted. The newspaper asked, “Did the Israeli army use toxic gases in the Gaza Strip to kill those in the tunnels? Did the army consider the lives of the captives at all when deciding how to deal with the tunnels, or was the only consideration in this matter the operational need to strike Hamas elements?”