Sensitive document found in garbage
צילום: אבי מועלם
Sensitive Air Force documents found in garbage
Civilian comes across papers detailing squadron's operations during Gaza offensive, including pilots' names and launch times; military personnel in nearby base promise to clear papers from area, but man finds them in same spot a few days later
Sensitive documents detailing the activities of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), particularly during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, were discovered by a civilian over the weekend in a garbage heap near an IAF base in central Israel.
The documents listed the names of pilots who carried out strikes in Gaza, as well as launch times, call signs and other details.
Launch times and call signs. Some of the papers found (Photo: Avi Mualem)
The civilian collected some of the papers and was told by military personnel at the base that the rest would be cleared immediately. The man returned to the site Monday morning only to discover that the documents were still there.
Document found in garbage (Photo: Avi Mualem)
Only after Ynet contacted the army did the base commanders call the civilian and ask for the garbage heap's exact location.
One of the documents, which was marked "classified", detailed each and every operation carried out by an IAF squadron during the offensive in Gaza. The document was drafted just days after the offensive ended. Other documents detailed the squadron's routine and training procedures, including performance evaluations.
Following Operation Cast Lead the army listed discretion as one of the reasons for its success, and maintains a very strict policy regarding access to classified information.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office said in response that "the matter is being checked by the Air Force; it must be stressed that this was an isolated incident."
