June 14, 2023
Conclusion of the Command Examination following the attempted attack during which a Palestinian toddler was unintentionally killed and another Palestinian was injured by IDF soldiers
The command examination following the attempted attack toward the community of Neve Tzuf, during which a Palestinian toddler was unintentionally killed and another Palestinian was injured by IDF fire, was presented to the Commanding Officer of the Central Command, MG Yehuda Fox, yesterday (Tuesday).
On Thursday, June 1st, 2023, two terrorists opened fire toward the community of Neve Tzuf and a military post adjacent to it, on the outskirts of the town of Nabi Saleh. The soldiers stationed at the guard post responded by firing several bullets. As a result of a misidentification of the source of the gunfire, a Palestinian toddler and his father were hit. Around a week after the incident, IDF soldiers apprehended a number of suspects on suspicion of involvement in the shooting toward the community and the IDF post. The suspects were transferred for investigation.
Immediately after the incident, the Commanding Officer of the Ephraim Brigade, COL Mordi Weiss, conducted an inquiry at the scene. The following day, the Commanding Officer of the Judea and Samaria Division, BG Avi Bluth, and additional commanders also conducted an inquiry into the incident. The inquiries conducted were comprehensive, in-depth and thorough.
The findings of the examination show that an IDF field observer reported that she identified two terrorists firing at the community and the guard post. The soldiers guarding the post received the report and heard the shots but did not identify the source of the fire. An officer in the company arrived at the scene and began scanning the area of the town of Nabi Saleh to locate the terrorists. During the search, he spotted a suspicious vehicle and fired several times into the air in violation of orders. During this time, the field observers identified the terrorists escaping.
Simultaneously, a soldier stationed at a guard post adjacent to the town identified two figures getting into a vehicle. The soldier thought they were the terrorists fleeing the scene and that they were firing at him from the vehicle. After receiving permission from his commander, the soldier fired several bullets toward the vehicle. The examination indicated that due to the succession of events and the soldier hearing the shots fired by the officer during searches in the area, the soldier assumed that this was the fire shot by the fleeing terrorists.
Following the shooting, the toddler and his father arrived by vehicle on the outskirts of the town and were quickly treated by the soldiers and medical teams. The two-year-old toddler was evacuated by an IDF helicopter to a hospital in Israel. He died of his injuries a few days later.
The examination revealed inadequacies in the commanders’ control and command over the incident and in the reporting and communication between the personnel in the field which led to incorrect decision-making.
Following the findings of the examination, the Commanding Officer of the Kfir Brigade, COL Sharon Altit, decided today (Wednesday), to initiate a command reprimand procedure in the case of the officer in the company, for firing into the air in violation of orders.
Commanding Officer of the Central Command, MG Yehuda Fox:
“IDF soldiers operate in civilian areas from which terrorist operatives carry out attacks and terrorist activities. We do everything that we can so as not to harm uninvolved civilians. I express my sorrow for the harm that was caused to civilians and the death of the toddler. We will continue to learn and improve in order to operate against terrorism in a precise manner.”
The findings of the examination were transferred to the Military Advocate General’s Corps, as is customary, in order to make a decision regarding the launching of an investigation by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID), to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
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