“Following the reports of two women that were shot in the area of the Latin church in Shuja’iyya, the IDF has finished conducting an initial review of the incident,” the statement said.
The review found that “Hamas terrorists launched a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) at IDF troops from the vicinity of the church,” the statement said. “The troops then identified three people in the vicinity, operating as spotters for Hamas by guiding their attacks in the direction of the IDF troops.”
“In response, our troops fired towards the spotters, and hits were identified,” the IDF continued. “While this incident occurred in the area where the two women were reportedly killed, the reports received do not match the conclusion of our initial review, which found that the IDF troops were targeting spotters in enemy lookouts.”
“The IDF continues to investigate the incident,” the statement said.
Asked to specify which “reports” it was referring to, and if its review determined whether or not an IDF soldier did kill the women in question, the IDF responded: “That is all the info we can share on this subject at this point.”
On the same Saturday as the reported killing of the women, rockets were reportedly fired from an IDF tank and hit the convent of the Sisters of Mother Teresa, the Missionaries of Charity, on the parish compound, rendering the home uninhabitable, according to the Latin Patriarchate.