Gun, grenade stolen from IDF vehicle
Hand gun and fragmentation grenade disappears from IDF jeep at military base close to the Gaza Strip settlement of Neve Dekalim; Army has been scrambling to find army deserters with IDF weapons after deadly bus shooting last week
Paramilitary police launched an investigation into the incident and IDF sources estimate that radical right-wing activists may have been involved in the theft.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered forces on Monday to track down army deserters who possess IDF-issued weapons, days after Eden Natan Zada, a soldier who had adandoned his base earlier in the year, gunned down four Israeli Arabs on a bus.
Deputy Commander for the Southern Division, Lt.-Col. Dotan Razili, realized the weapons had disappeared from the vehicle several days ago and immediately reported it to the police.
“The investigators took over the base and informed us that no one was going home,” a soldier stationed at the base told Ynet. “They asked all kinds of questions and took some soldiers in for questioning, it wasn’t pleasant.”
The soldier said several incidences of theft have occurred at the base in the past, however never this serious.
“To steal a gun from a deputy division commander is not a simple thing, it takes a lot of courage and audacity,” he said.
Findings to be transferred to prosecution
“It’s hard to imagine that someone external infiltrated the base, opened the jeep, stole the weapon and left without anyone seeing him, but everything will be checked,” one source said. “Perhaps we are talking about some sort of collaboration between a soldier and an external person or perhaps a soldier stole them with the intention to sell the weapons.”
However, an IDF officer told Ynet there is only a slight possibility of settler involved in the incident.
Nevertheless, exits and entrances into the base have been closed, in an attempt to find the missing weapons and those responsible.
An IDF spokesman said all findings are to be transferred to the Military Prosecutor following a thorough investigation.
Military Police are also investigating whether the jeep was locked at the time of the theft and whether Razili fulfilled all security instructions for leaving weapons in military vehicles, he said.
