05:04Iris Haim, the mother of 28-year-old hostage Yotam Haim who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers while trying to escape from Hamas, revealed her disbelief at hearing the news - but also why she was not angry at those who killed him - in footage recorded in Jerusalem on Wednesday, January 17.
"We received the terrible, terrible message, and we couldn't believe about it, and they told us also that it was from Israel, IDF," she explained. "We were in shock. But the first thing my husband told [Yoav] Gallant, the minister of defence, he said: 'We are not angry.'
"For me, it was nothing to be forgiven, because nothing was made on purpose," she added. "I thought, these soldiers, they are fighting for Israel, so that we can live here, so I must defend them, I must help them."
Yotam and hostages Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalka - all captured in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 - were killed on December 15 in Gaza City.
Media reports stated that they were shirtless and waving a white flag. A subsequent IDF investigation later that month found the incident 'could have been prevented' but that 'the soldiers carried out the right action to the best of their understanding'.
Iris explained that her final news of Yotam around '10 days before the accident', while a fourth hostage had described her son - a heavy metal drummer - as having 'good morale' during his time in captivity.
"He was playing the drums, like drums on the floor, and the other one was singing," she said. Her last contact with him was on the day of the Hamas attack itself at Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
"He told us that they are shooting the door and after this, at 10:44am, the contact with him was lost," she said. "After he wrote us: 'I am afraid, I don't have air, everything is burning,' that's what he wrote us. And we wrote him: 'Go out, open the window, maybe you will open a little bit the window to have air.' So he said: 'No, I am afraid they are waiting for me outside [the safe place].' And that was the last word we heard from him."
She also described the ongoing situation as the 'second Holocaust'.
"If the world does not open its eyes, and [does not] help to destroy Hamas, also the Palestinians will be killed," she claimed. "It's the world's duty, not Israel's duty, it's the world's duty to help us against Hamas."
Fighting continues in Gaza in the fourth month of the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 25,000 people had been killed and more than 60,000 injured at time of publication.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza, before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region.
'We couldn't believe it' - Mother of Israeli hostage gunned down by IDF backs troops, claims 'nothing to be forgiven'
Iris Haim, the mother of 28-year-old hostage Yotam Haim who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers while trying to escape from Hamas, revealed her disbelief at hearing the news - but also why she was not angry at those who killed him - in footage recorded in Jerusalem on Wednesday, January 17.
"We received the terrible, terrible message, and we couldn't believe about it, and they told us also that it was from Israel, IDF," she explained. "We were in shock. But the first thing my husband told [Yoav] Gallant, the minister of defence, he said: 'We are not angry.'
"For me, it was nothing to be forgiven, because nothing was made on purpose," she added. "I thought, these soldiers, they are fighting for Israel, so that we can live here, so I must defend them, I must help them."
Yotam and hostages Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalka - all captured in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 - were killed on December 15 in Gaza City.
Media reports stated that they were shirtless and waving a white flag. A subsequent IDF investigation later that month found the incident 'could have been prevented' but that 'the soldiers carried out the right action to the best of their understanding'.
Iris explained that her final news of Yotam around '10 days before the accident', while a fourth hostage had described her son - a heavy metal drummer - as having 'good morale' during his time in captivity.
"He was playing the drums, like drums on the floor, and the other one was singing," she said. Her last contact with him was on the day of the Hamas attack itself at Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
"He told us that they are shooting the door and after this, at 10:44am, the contact with him was lost," she said. "After he wrote us: 'I am afraid, I don't have air, everything is burning,' that's what he wrote us. And we wrote him: 'Go out, open the window, maybe you will open a little bit the window to have air.' So he said: 'No, I am afraid they are waiting for me outside [the safe place].' And that was the last word we heard from him."
She also described the ongoing situation as the 'second Holocaust'.
"If the world does not open its eyes, and [does not] help to destroy Hamas, also the Palestinians will be killed," she claimed. "It's the world's duty, not Israel's duty, it's the world's duty to help us against Hamas."
Fighting continues in Gaza in the fourth month of the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 25,000 people had been killed and more than 60,000 injured at time of publication.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza, before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region.
Iris Haim, the mother of 28-year-old hostage Yotam Haim who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers while trying to escape from Hamas, revealed her disbelief at hearing the news - but also why she was not angry at those who killed him - in footage recorded in Jerusalem on Wednesday, January 17.
"We received the terrible, terrible message, and we couldn't believe about it, and they told us also that it was from Israel, IDF," she explained. "We were in shock. But the first thing my husband told [Yoav] Gallant, the minister of defence, he said: 'We are not angry.'
"For me, it was nothing to be forgiven, because nothing was made on purpose," she added. "I thought, these soldiers, they are fighting for Israel, so that we can live here, so I must defend them, I must help them."
Yotam and hostages Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalka - all captured in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 - were killed on December 15 in Gaza City.
Media reports stated that they were shirtless and waving a white flag. A subsequent IDF investigation later that month found the incident 'could have been prevented' but that 'the soldiers carried out the right action to the best of their understanding'.
Iris explained that her final news of Yotam around '10 days before the accident', while a fourth hostage had described her son - a heavy metal drummer - as having 'good morale' during his time in captivity.
"He was playing the drums, like drums on the floor, and the other one was singing," she said. Her last contact with him was on the day of the Hamas attack itself at Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
"He told us that they are shooting the door and after this, at 10:44am, the contact with him was lost," she said. "After he wrote us: 'I am afraid, I don't have air, everything is burning,' that's what he wrote us. And we wrote him: 'Go out, open the window, maybe you will open a little bit the window to have air.' So he said: 'No, I am afraid they are waiting for me outside [the safe place].' And that was the last word we heard from him."
She also described the ongoing situation as the 'second Holocaust'.
"If the world does not open its eyes, and [does not] help to destroy Hamas, also the Palestinians will be killed," she claimed. "It's the world's duty, not Israel's duty, it's the world's duty to help us against Hamas."
Fighting continues in Gaza in the fourth month of the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a 'complete siege' of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes. A ground incursion began at the end of the third week, with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' Hamas. Palestinian officials reported that at least 25,000 people had been killed and more than 60,000 injured at time of publication.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response. However, United Nations experts warned against 'collective punishment' for the people of Gaza, before predicting a 'humanitarian crisis' and then claimed that 'hell is settling in' for the region.