The IDF announced on Thursday that 5 of its troops were killed in friendly fire after a tank mistakenly identified them as enemy combatants while they took over a building in search of terrorists. On Wednesday morning, 202nd Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade took control of a route in the Jabalia area in the northern Gaza Strip, accompanied by an armored force consisting of two tanks. A group of soldiers from the Hetz ultra-Orthodox company positioned themselves in a nearby building, with the deputy battalion commander's command post on the first floor.
The tanks' hatches were closed (a measure that hinders spatial awareness), and in the evening hours, one of the tanks identified what appeared to be a rifle barrel protruding from a window and opened fire toward the building. Tragically, as a result of this accidental firing, a company commander and four soldiers were killed. Seven additional soldiers were injured, three of them in critical condition.
The IDF is still investigating how the firing occurred despite the safety measures and precautions in place. The inquiry will continue, involving the armored force and 202nd Battalion . Questions to be examined include the positioning of the force, the instructions provided, and the boundaries of the area assigned to them.
Three Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) are currently operating in the Jabalia refugee camp. So far, the forces have killed 150 terrorists . While most of the civilian population has been evacuated, the area remains riddled with explosive devices, booby traps, and underground terror infrastructureץ
