Families of fallen IDF soldiers seek answers about Gaza battle
Loved ones of Golani fighters killed in battle in Saja'iyya respond to Ynet publication of testimonies from night of attack.
Families of the seven Golani Brigade soldiers killed in the Operation Protective Edge battle on the outskirts of Saja'iyaa are now demanding answers to unresolved questions relating to the incident.
The families' demands come 24 hours after the Ynet publication of testimonies from junior commanders in the field on the night of July 19.
"We feel uneasy about the things that have emerged from the testimonies that were published," one bereaved family member said in the wake of the publication.
"We expect the army to provide us with answers to the claims voiced by the fighters. When our sons' commanders say they were given the cold shoulder by the army, we need to hear what they have to say."
The same family member also called on the fighters who survived the incident to speak to the families and tell them all they know.
"Don't be afraid, and don't be embarrassed," she said. "We simply want to know what really happened there. We're not angry with you."
She added that she and her family had learned new details about the incident from testimonies of the fighters. "I didn't know, for example, about the navigation error," she said. These are tough days for us."
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According to the testimonies published on Tuesday, the two armored personnel carriers caught up in the battle on the outskirts of Saja'iyya were involved two days earlier in an accident, which may have been the reason why the one broke down and became an easy target for Hamas. The two APCs were checked after the accident and declared fit for operational duties.
The fighters in the field also said that the two APCs had taken the wrong route due to a navigational error on the part of the tanks that were leading them. This error, they said, also caused a long delay in the arrival of reinforcements, which were unable to pinpoint their location.
"The testimonies of the fighters involved in the incident are very important," said Herzl Shaul, the father of Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul, who was killed in the APC disaster and whose remains were snatched by Hamas. "It's important for all the people of Israel to know what happened so as to prevent a similar disaster in the future."
Ida Ta'aseh, the mother of Shahar Ta'aseh, who was also killed in the incident, is still waiting for more information.
"At this stage, we are harboring a lot of anger, as are other bereaved families; but we still don’t know everything," she said.
