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Photo: AFP
IDF gears for 'Nakba Day'
Ahead of Palestinian day of mourning over Israel's inception, IDF orders troops to exercise maximal discretion when applying rules of engagement
The IDF is gearing for Sunday, when the Palestinians will mark 'Nakba Day' – a day of mourning over the inception of the State of Israel, by reiterating the need for troops to exercise discretion when applying the rules of engagement.
"Restraint," "Discretion," and "Reserve" were strongly advised in IDF debriefings Wednesday. The IDF strives to minimize any potential harm to civilians, in what had traditionally become a day of violent rioting, in order to avoid any escalation in the security situation vis-à-vis the Palestinians.
Nakba Day
Hanan Greenberg
Benny Gantz visits IDF Central Command to be briefed on preparations being made ahead of Palestinian day of mourning over Israel's inception. Brigades being trained to deal with clashes that may occur between protesters, settlers
The military plans to refrain from intervening in Palestinian events, as long as participants do not try to target soldiers, settlers or infrastructure.
The troops have been ordered not to intervene in occurrence unless they absolutely must, and to use live rounds only under extreme circumstances.
Nevertheless, the troops deployed will be given riot and crowd-control measures to ensure their safety.
Senior field officers will be deployed in every sector to monitor the situation and assist in the decision making process.
Despite assessments that the Palestinians will maintain order, the GOC Central Command decided not to take any unnecessary risks and – on top of the usual intelligence work and collaboration with Palestinian security forces – are also monitoring internet chatter and social media websites, to get a clear sense of the Palestinian street's mood.
The IDF is, nevertheless, gearing for the possibility that despite the recent reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas – or possibly because of it – violent riots may erupt.
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