Iris Haim, the mother of the late Yotam, who was accidentally shot to death by an IDF force along with two other hostages in Gaza City's Shijaiyah neighborhood, sent a recorded message to the17th Battalion, whose soldiers were involved in the incident. "I know that everything that happened is absolutely not your fault," said the mother in the emotional recording.
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"Hello to the 7828th Brigade of the 17th Battalion," says Iris Haim. "“This is Iris Haim. 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."
“I ask you to look after yourselves and to think all the time that you are doing the best thing in the world, the best thing that could happen, that could help us. Because all the people of Israel and all of us need you healthy - and don’t hesitate for a second if you see a terrorist. Don’t think that you killed a hostage deliberately. You need to look after yourselves because that's the only way you can protect us," Iris Haim also said.
Iris Haim invited the soldiers to visit her and meet with her in person.
“At the first opportunity, you are invited to come to us, anyone who is interested. We want to see you with our own eyes, hug you and tell you that what you did — as painful and sad as it is to say such a thing — it was apparently the right thing at that moment.
“"None of us is judging you or getting angry: Not me, and not my husband Raviv. Not my daughter Noya. And not Yotam, may his memory be blessed. And not Tuval, Yotam’s brother. We love you very much. And that is all,” she concluded.