The IDF has decided to remove four soldiers from combat duty in light of the findings of a probe into an incident at the start of August in which an officer and two soldiers were wounded by a terrorist from the Gaza Strip who breached the border fence and opened fire.
Backup forces who were scrambled to the scene shot and killed the terrorist.
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The Aug. 1 incident began when IDF troops spotted a suspicious figure approaching the border fence in southern Gaza. After the security system alerted the military, forces were deployed to the area where the terrorist was spotted and put on high alert. After the suspect breached the fence and crossed into Israel, he opened fire at the Israeli troops. Backup contingents who arrived at the scene returned fire, killing the suspect.
The terrorist wounded an IDF commander lightly to moderately, and two soldiers lightly. All three were evacuated to a hospital for treatment and then released. The IDF launched a probe into the event.
According to the findings from the probe, some of the forces involved in the incident had acted appropriately, while one contingent had not. The probe determined that the commander of the first platoon who arrived at the scene, as well as his deputy and his soldiers, attempted to confront the terrorist. However, the probe discovered that another force scrambled to the scene of the incident, commanded by a sergeant, and kept their distance.
After the probe was complete, commander of the IDF's Golani Brigade, Col. Shai Klapper, decided to remove the sergeant and two soldiers who had not acted according to operational protocol. Commander of the Southern Brigade, Col. Liron Batito, decided to remove the patrol driver from duty.
The IDF issued a statement that "any operational incident in the IDF is thoroughly examined in order to learn from it, and that is what was done in this incident."
