An IDF soldier from the Hasmonean Brigade was seriously wounded Tuesday evening at the Tevetz base in the Jordan Valley after three soldiers competed in a weapon-cocking contest, according to an initial military investigation reported by Kan News. The soldier, a member of the Chabad community, was evacuated to a hospital. The Military Police Criminal Investigation Division has opened a probe.
The IDF soldier seriously wounded in the weapon-cocking contest at the Tevetz base in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday evening has been identified as a member of the Chabad community, the latest detail to emerge from the military's investigation. The incident, in which three soldiers from the Hasmonean Brigade locked themselves in a room and competed over who could cock a weapon faster, left one soldier with a serious gunshot wound after a comrade loaded a magazine, opened the safety, and fired. The wounded soldier, a Chabad Chassid, was evacuated to a hospital. The Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) has opened a probe into the suspected negligent discharge, and the IDF Spokesperson confirmed that the soldier's family has been notified.
The thread of reporting on this incident unfolded rapidly Tuesday evening. Initial reports at 21:36 Jerusalem described a negligent discharge at a training base in the Jordan Valley, with the soldier wounded in the neck. Within the same bulletin, the IDF identified the base as the Hasmonean Brigade's Tevetz base and specified that the incident stemmed from a weapon-play competition among three soldiers. The investigation revealed that the soldiers had locked themselves in a room and competed in cocking their weapons. The identification of the wounded soldier as a Chabad Chassid is the latest refinement, confirmed by sources in the initial investigation reported by Kan News. Source credibility has remained consistent throughout, with the IDF Spokesperson providing official confirmation at each stage.
The Hasmonean Brigade is a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) infantry brigade. The soldier's affiliation with the Chabad community aligns with the brigade's composition. As The Zioneer has reported in the context of other incidents, the IDF maintains strict protocols regarding weapon handling, and such incidents are treated with the utmost seriousness.
The CID investigation is ongoing. It remains unclear whether disciplinary measures will be taken against the other soldiers involved in the competition, and the exact medical condition of the wounded soldier, beyond his serious injury, has not been updated since the initial evacuation.
6 developments
- ConfirmedIDF: Five soldiers wounded in second Hezbollah drone strike near Kfar Tebnit overnight
- StrongMilitary Police CID opens investigation after IDF soldier seriously wounded by stray bullet
- DevelopingIDF officer reportedly severely wounded in clash with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIDF: Three officers wounded in southern Lebanon, two severely
Source and signal
- Open-source intake