Protesters demand Gaza cease-fire after accidental hostage killings

Israeli leaders faced renewed calls for a cease-fire on Sunday after the military confirmed that three hostages killed by Israeli troops on Friday were waving a white flag. The Israeli Defense Forces said the killings violated military protocols. IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari on Friday said that Israeli troops mistook the three hostages for militants. Hagari said the military would investigate the matter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deaths of the hostages broke his heart.

What else is happening in the war? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday discussed restoring the presence of a Palestinian security force in Gaza after the war is over. Hamas drove the latest Palestinian security force out of the region more than a decade ago. Israel has vowed to continue its war in Gaza until Hamas is destroyed and has said it will retain control over the area indefinitely afterward.

Dig deeper: Read A.S. Ibrahim’s column in WORLD Opinions about the social media campaign to promote the Quran during Israel’s war on Hamas.