The IDF spokesperson said Wednesday that an error was made in the morning statement that a female Oketz unit soldier eliminated a Hezbollah operative in Bint Jbeil. According to soldiers at the scene, the terrorist was killed by a soldier from the 679th Reserve Brigade after a standoff and negotiations. The spokesperson said the incident is under investigation and findings will be presented transparently.
The IDF spokesperson on Wednesday formally acknowledged an error in the morning statement that a female Oketz unit soldier had eliminated a Hezbollah operative in Bint Jbeil. According to the latest account, the terrorist was killed by a soldier from the 679th Reserve Brigade after a standoff and negotiations, not by the Oketz soldier. The IDF said the incident is under investigation and that findings will be presented transparently, adding that any mistake was 'a human error made in good faith.'
The initial report, published at 07:30 Jerusalem, stated that a female Oketz soldier eliminated a Hezbollah operative during searches in a building, and that an Oketz dog was killed. At 10:56 Jerusalem, soldiers from the 679th Brigade contradicted that account, telling Kan News that the terrorist was killed by troops of Battalion 8112 after a standoff that included negotiations. The soldiers also said the female Oketz soldier returned fire and was unharmed. The IDF's acknowledgment at 11:11 Jerusalem confirms the soldiers' version of events.
The building where the elimination occurred was the site of a close-quarters encounter last Thursday (July 2) in which a reserve soldier was severely wounded, as The Zioneer reported on July 3. The 679th Brigade had been conducting searches in the area since then. The Zioneer has also reported on broader ceasefire violations in southern Lebanon, including a June 26 grenade attack that wounded four soldiers and a June 10 infiltration near Margaliot.
The IDF stated that the investigation will be conducted transparently, but the exact cause of the initial error remains unclear. The findings have not yet been released, and it is not known whether the miscommunication originated at the scene or in the military's public affairs process.
5 developments
- DevelopingFighters in Bint Jbeil: IDF spokesperson lied — female soldier did not carry out kill
- ConfirmedIDF eliminates Hezbollah operative near troops in Al-Manzala area
- DevelopingTwo Hezbollah operatives killed in southern Lebanon, single report says
- DevelopingIDF eliminates Hezbollah operatives threatening troops at Ali al-Taher Ridge
Source and signal
- Internal intake