Home hit by mortar fire
צילום: AFP
Officer handed prison sentence in case of IDF misfire
Palestinian sources say Gaza incident caused death of 17-year old girl, officer given 21-day sentence
An IDF officer has been handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 days following an incident of mortar fire by an IDF force in Gaza, in which a 17-year old girl was killed, Ynet has learned.
However, the army has not been able to discern whether the mortar fire was indeed what caused the 12 civilian casualties reported following the incident.
The Nachal Brigade's Granite force was patrolling near the northern border fence earlier this month when it was attacked by gunfire and mortar shells from within Gaza.
The force returned fire using the Keshet weapons system, an autonomous mortar with the ability to aim and navigate independently.
A short while later, Palestinian sources reported that a 17-year old girl had been killed and 11 other civilians injured from IDF fire, which struck a home in the al-Bureij refugee camp.
Initial reports have revealed that the civilians may have been injured by the mortars fired by Palestinian gunmen at the IDF force, but the army later withdrew this conclusion.
The most recent investigation has revealed that the officer in charge of the force did not initially fire at the correct location, and that he later ordered additional, unapproved fire at the target in order to compensate for his error.
A senior military official involved in the probe said it was highly likely the civilian casualties occurred as a result of the officer's misfire. However the army was not able to confirm Palestinian reports as to the extent and cause of the injuries as they occurred on Palestinian territory.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office stated in response that the force had returned mortar fire at a source of fire by Palestinian terrorists. "Our force returned mortar fire in a manner not in accordance with area guidelines. The firing officer has been punished. It is important to note that the investigation has not been able to determine the cause of the woman's death," the statement said.
