GOC Northern Command Strick
Photo: Avihu Shapira
Six IDF soldiers sanctioned after Lebanese man crosses into Israel
A week after a Lebanese citizen crossed the border and was arrested in Kiryat Shmona, the IDF complete an investigation into the circumstances that led to the incident; an officer is to be dismissed, another reprimanded, and four other soldiers will go through disciplinary hearings.
Following an IDF investigation into the circumstances that permitted a reportedly mentally ill Lebanese man to cross into Israel on April 27, four IDF soldiers are to be sanctioned.
A battalion commander is to be officially reprimanded, a deputy company commander is to be dismissed, and four other soldiers are to go through disciplinary hearings. The investigation was carried out by the army’s Northern Command.
The Lebanese-Israeli border (File)
A statement issued by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stated that the investigation was personally headed by the GOC Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick, himself. It added that “operational lessons were learned regarding the functioning of the forces at the time of the incident.
“The lessons of the incident will be transferred to the forces and additional professional complementary investigations will be carried out to prevent recurrence of such cases in the future.”
Ali Mari
The Lebanese man, Ali Mari, was spotted by civilians in the central bus station in Kiryat Shmona, which is about 10km from the border. The IDF confirmed that he had entered the country in the area of Moshav Margaliot, located nearby the border fence.
The Northern Command’s investigation sought to uncover how Mari passed through the border undetected by army scouts or other troops responsible for securing the border. It appears that he travelled by foot on roads for kilometers.
(Translated and edited by J. Herzog)
