Israel reveals identity of IDF officer killed in 2018 botched Gaza operation

Identity of Mahmoud Kehir el-Din, killed by friendly fire 4 years ago, was kept under strict censorship; 'Israelis can now know and express gratitude to a hero who dedicated his life to Israel's security,' PM says

Yossi Yehushua|
Israel on Sunday revealed the identity of an IDF officer killed in a botched operation in Gaza in 2018.
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  • Lt. Col. Mahmoud Kehir el-Din was killed by friendly fire when a special ops force entered Gaza on an intelligence gathering mission.
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    סגן אלוף מחמוד חיר א-דין
    סגן אלוף מחמוד חיר א-דין
    Lt. Col. Mahmoud Kehir el-Din
    (Photo: IDF)
    Details of the operation, as well as the identity of Kehir el-Dir were kept under strict censorship by the military until now.
    Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Israelis can now learn Kehir el-Din's name and thank him for his dedication to Israel's security.
    "He is a hero who was awarded the highest military citation," Bennett said.
    Mahmoud Kehir el-Din was a member of the Druze community who served for decades in Israel's armed forces.
    Born in 1977, he grew up as one of eight children, in the Druze village of Hurfeish, in the north.
    Along with his military service, he was an advocate for the Druze community and formed a non-profit dedicated to the advancement of Druze citizens of Israel.
    2 View gallery
    סגן אלוף מחמוד חיר א-דין
    סגן אלוף מחמוד חיר א-דין
    Lt. Col. Mahmoud Kehir el-Din
    (Photo: IDF)
    Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman said on Sunday, that now that his identity has been revealed, Israeli legislators from all sides of the political spectrum should consider amending Israel's controversial Nation State Bill, which many among the Druze community say, positions them as second-class citizens.
    The law which says Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people, was passed in 2018 amid criticism that it discriminated against non-Jews, and specifically Arab speaking citizens, was the subject of Druze protests.
    Despite promises by politicians from the right including former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and from the center, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz, during past election campaigns, has not been changed.
    Kehir el-Din was survived by his wife and two children.
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