An egregious incident occurred during Operation Guardian of the Walls, the IDF said on Friday morning. During the 11-day military operation against terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip last month, one Palestinian was wounded when a soldier opened machine-gun fire from a tank at three innocent bystanders near the border.
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According to the IDF's internal investigation, the shooting occurred in contravention of the rules of engagement and directives. Consequently, GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano, together with GOC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, decided to institute the following punitive measures:
The platoon commander who ordered the shooting will be dismissed from the IDF; proceedings will be launched to discharge the artillery corps gunner who fired the weapon; and the company commander in charge of the sector in question will be reprimanded.
Meanwhile, the Military Police Criminal Investigative Division has also launched an investigation and will deliver its findings to the Military Advocate General. At this stage, the army was investigating whether the soldier fired at three Palestinian farmers near the border and whether the purpose of the shooting was to distance them from the border. It wasn't known if the Palestinian who was shot died of his wounds.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, who received the internal inquiry on Thursday, said: "This is a grave incident that does not coincide with the IDF's ethics. The IDF will continue to ensure that it operates in a professional and ethical manner, investigate its actions meticulously, and learn the appropriate lessons."
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