On the case of Yuval Kastelman: "One tragedy will not be fixed by another tragedy"

Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim who was mistakenly killed by IDF fire, appeals to the court handling the case of Yuval Kastelman. Haim asks the judges to consider the circumstances of the incident, the intention of Aviad Frija to save lives, and the limitations of human judgment in times of danger, while calling for room for mercy alongside justice.

Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim who was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, and mistakenly killed by IDF fire on December 15, 2023, addresses an open letter to the court handling the case of Yuval Kastelman. Haim, who does not know Aviad Frija personally, asks the judges to look at Frija not only through the terrible outcome, but also through the reality in which he operated: a person who encountered an attack, engaged the enemy, risked his life out of a desire to save others, and had to make decisions within moments of fear and chaos. She emphasizes that she does not know what he saw, understood, or thought in that second, and asks that we not pretend we know for certain how we would have acted in his place. Haim notes that she chose not to blame the soldiers who shot her son, and even recorded a message for them during the shiva in which she said she loves them. She emphasizes that compassion does not exempt from responsibility, just as responsibility does not require giving up compassion, and asks the court to leave room for mercy alongside justice.