A lieutenant colonel in the IDF was relieved of his command in recent days after entering the Gaza Strip without authorization from his superiors, Israel Hayom can exclusively report.
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The officer entered Gaza with a Givati Brigade reconnaissance unit and refused to leave the area, insisting on continuing fighting in Operation Swords of Iron rather than going back to the IDF Ground Training National Center, defying the explicit orders from his commanders.
The combat officer (whose name is withheld) previously served as a fighter and commander in one of the special forces units of the IDF and also in the Givati Brigade. Before the war, he had been serving as the head of a branch at the IDF Ground Training National Center, where he was supposed to participate in preparing ground forces for combat in the Gaza Strip.
Video: Mixed-gender Shachar Battalion joins fighting / Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
The officer, who fought on October 7 against the Hamas terrorists' invasion of the Gaza border communities, was eager to actively participate in the ground operations of the IDF within the Gaza Strip and decided to join the Givati reconnaissance unit, which was among the first forces to enter the area and carry out major operations.
Information obtained by Israel Hayom shows that the officer refused to leave the Gaza Strip for about two weeks, choosing to stay and fight on despite being told to do so. Eventually, the commander of the Givati reconnaissance unit, to which he joined, forced him to leave the area.
He was subsequently summoned for a disciplinary hearing and it was decided that he would be dismissed from his position for having not stayed at the base and helped prepare the forces for entering the Gaza Strip. Following the hearing, the officer was assigned to a temporary staff position.
While the IDF reports very high motivation among the forces to participate in the military effort, with up to 120 or even 150 percent turnout in various reserve units, in this case, the decision was made to court-martial and dismiss the officer after he essentially abandoned his post and refused to follow explicit orders from his superiors.
In response to inquiries from Israel Hayom, the IDF stated that "after leaving the fighting, the officer was summoned to a hearing and dismissed from his position. This occurred after he joined forces in the field without authorization and abandoned his position at a time when training reserve units for combat was of vital importance. The IDF views such incidents with great concern."
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