Five Israeli paratroopers died in northern Gaza when tanks from their own side fired on them, the Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday. Seven more soldiers were wounded, three of them severely.
The shelling hit a force from the 202nd Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade in Jabalia. The IDF opened an investigation. Its first findings, issued in a statement, put the tanks “dozens of meters away” from the troops. Crews there “identified a weapon and fired shells at an IDF force nearby,” the statement said. It added that the tanks fired two shells “for unclear reasons.”
The Jerusalem Post, citing details cleared for publication on Thursday, said the shooting happened in the early evening on Wednesday. Two tanks fired on what turned out to be a forward battalion headquarters. The crews were under heavy pressure at the time, the paper reported, from dozens of rocket-propelled grenade attacks. They had been told to keep every opening shut, canopy included, so no RPG could find a gap. Shut in, they could see little.
Soldiers from Tank Unit 82 told investigators they spotted a weapon barrel poking out of the three-floor building, no more than 10 to 20 meters off. Why they failed to recognize the headquarters is still unclear. The IDF said the tanks had taken the junction at about 9:00 am, while the battalion headquarters deputy commander arrived many hours later. The IDF is also examining whether the paratroopers were mistaken for armed militants.
The five who died
The IDF named the dead on Thursday. All five served in Battalion 202 of the Paratroopers Brigade.
Sergeant Roy Beit Yaakov, 22, from Eli, was a combat officer. Sergeant Daniel Chemu, 20, came from Tiberias, and Sergeant Ilan Cohen, also 20, from Karmiel. Staff Sergeant Gilad Arye Boim, 22, was from Karnei Shomron. Staff Sergeant Betzlel David Shashuah, 21, was from Tel Aviv. The Jerusalem Post described Unit 202 as a Haredi-integrated unit.
Fighting in the north and Rafah
The accident came as Israeli forces fought again in parts of northern Gaza that the military had earlier described as cleared. NBC News said the renewed battles against regrouped Hamas fighters, seven months into the war, have revived doubts about the government’s strategy. The IDF said it has killed over 150 Hamas fighters since moving back into Jabalya.
In the south, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said more troops would enter Rafah. After an assessment on Wednesday near the Gaza border, he said “several tunnels in the area have been destroyed by our troops and additional tunnels will be destroyed soon.” The operation “will intensify,” he added. The United Nations says at least 600,000 people have fled parts of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought shelter. Another 100,000 have been displaced in northern Gaza.
Gallant also broke publicly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in a televised statement. He accused Netanyahu of refusing to discuss who would run Gaza after the war, a stance he said could leave Israel ruling the enclave again, an outcome he opposed. Netanyahu has stayed focused on Rafah. The U.S. has pressed him to produce a postwar plan.
The U.N.’s top court began two days of hearings Thursday on South Africa’s request to halt Israeli operations in Rafah. U.S. Central Command said the same morning that it had anchored a temporary humanitarian pier to a Gaza beach, with aid trucks expected ashore in the coming days.
Sources
- 5 Israeli soldiers killed by friendly fire in northern Gaza
- IDF tanks kill and wound multiple Israeli soldiers in friendly fire | The Jerusalem Post
Sources
- Israeli military says 5 soldiers killed by friendly fire in northern Gaza…
- IDF tanks kill and wound multiple Israeli soldiers in …
