A Mother’s Extraordinary Compassion and Love of Israel after Shooting Tragedy Shows Grace, Restores Fighting Spirit

In a heartfelt address to the IDF unit responsible for the tragic shooting of her son, Yotam Haim, and two other hostages, Iris Haim displayed an exceptional act of forgiveness and understanding. Her son, along with Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalka, was mistakenly identified as a threat and killed by soldiers from the Bislamach Brigade’s 17th Battalion during a tense operation in northern Gaza.

Yotam, a 28-year-old abducted by Hamas terrorists, met a tragic fate on December 15, 2023, which has since been the subject of an ongoing IDF investigation. Despite the unbearable loss, Iris Haim reached out to the soldiers with a powerful message, “I am Yotam’s mother. I wanted to tell you that I love you very much, and I hug you here from afar. I know that everything that happened is absolutely not your fault, and nobody’s fault except that of Hamas, may their name be wiped out and their memory erased from the earth.”

Here is the audio of Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim, one of the 3 hostages killed by friendly fire from Battalion 17, made to Battalion 17. 💔

A woman of infinite strength and grace.pic.twitter.com/qYucWGQsze

— Strxwmxn (@strxwmxn) December 21, 2023

Her words sought to alleviate the heavy burden the soldiers might carry, reminding them of the chaotic and deceptive nature of combat against a devious enemy like Hamas. Iris’s message was not just words of comfort but a call for the soldiers to continue their duty with their heads held high, “And don’t hesitate for a second if you see a terrorist,” she urged. “You have to look after yourselves because only that way can you look after us.”

In response to this extraordinary gesture of empathy, a soldier from the same battalion that was involved in the incident visited Iris Haim. During this poignant meeting, the soldier conveyed how her message had profoundly affected the unit, “We received your message, and since then we are functioning again,” he admitted, revealing the depth of trauma and guilt these soldiers had been grappling with. Before Iris’s message, they were “shut down,” a testament to the emotional toll such incidents can take on the IDF.

Iris’s response to the soldier’s visit was just as touching, “Amazing, that’s what I wanted.” Her words, a soothing balm, aimed to foster healing and understanding in a situation fraught with pain and confusion. The visit and exchange between Iris and the soldier symbolize a rare moment of human connection and mutual support amid the dehumanizing realities of conflict.

The military investigation into the incident further revealed the tragic complexities, with new details shedding light on the hostages’ desperate attempts to signal their identities and soldiers’ critical, split-second decisions. Miscommunication and the harsh realities of the battlefield contributed to the fatal outcome, prompting the IDF to review its protocols to prevent future tragedies.

One woman. One voice. Her graceful act restored one battalion’s faith in itself. With mothers like Iris, how can this nation lose?