The separation of the "pair of fighters" and the explanations that were not given to the soldiers: the difficult questions from the incident in Tulkarm
The IDF estimates that Sergeant Natan Pitousi went to isolate himself during the prayer, and when he returned he heard his friend initiate a suspicious arrest procedure.
He ran towards him without realizing that the calls were directed at him - and was shot dead by him.
Central Command officials have criticized the conduct of the unit, and the Ministry of Defense may investigate commanders up to the brigade level
Amir Bohbot
08/16/2022
Tuesday, August 16, 2022, 10:34 p.m. Updated: 10:58 p.m.
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The funeral of Natan Pitosi (Yotam Ronen)
Additional revelations from the investigation into the death of Kfir Brigade fighter Natan Fitousi, who was killed last night (Monday) in Tulkarm by his company mate.
Fitosi was known to his commanders and friends as a religious warrior with a habit of seclusion during prayer.
Last night, around 10:00 p.m., the fighter informed his friend at the guard post in front of the perimeter fence in the area of the village of Shuika, that he was going to pray.
In a short time, Nathan entered the thicket of vegetation a short distance from the stand to pray the evening prayer.
It is believed that he did not have time to pray near the shift because of many tasks.
According to army officials, the additional fighter did not follow exactly where Natan went to pray, but estimated the general direction since the area itself is suspicious except for the lights from a distance on both sides of the seam line due to the lights of the houses from the settlements.
After a period of 15-20 minutes, Nathan returned and walked towards his friend.
The fighter, who recognized a silhouette and did not know who was standing in front of him, shouted at him: "Who is this? Stop or I will shoot", and repeated this call several times.
After the suspicious figure did not respond to his calls to identify himself and stop and even went from walking to running towards him, the sense of danger increased for him, so the fighter fired two bullets into the air, and then a few bullets at the figure.
It is estimated that there are six more bullets towards the soldier.
A total of about eight balls.
Army officials estimated that it is very possible that Vanatan ran towards his fellow fighter, because he wanted to help him after hearing that he was carrying out a suspicious arrest procedure against a suspicious figure without realizing that he himself was the suspicious figure and therefore did not answer the calls to "arrest...".
Natan Fitosi (photo: IDF spokesman)
The shooting soldier, represented by the military defense, was up all night due to the operational investigations and the arrival of Brigadier General Kafir, Brigadier General Menashe, the commander of the Yosh division and the general of the Central Command to the point of the tragic incident and was required to answer the questions of the commanders.
Although he was sent to sleep in the morning hours after On a white night, he was unable to close an eye and is in a very difficult situation. Natan was a good friend to him whom he had known since his training about two years ago. Army officials said that he answered as much as he could to the commanders' questions, but despite this, he is in a very difficult mental state. Just crushed.
He still hasn't fully digested everything that happened, he was a good friend of his."
This afternoon he was sent to the police investigation to give an initial testimony that continues even at these hours.
It is estimated that after giving the testimony he will be sent to the military base, and tomorrow he will be summoned to give another testimony.
According to estimates by military officials, there will be a return to the field in the coming days.
More in Walla!
Natan Fitosi, the soldier who was accidentally killed by another soldier's fire, was laid to rest: "You were always special and extraordinary"
To the full article
Pitosi's funeral.
Today (photo: Maariv, Avshalom Sashoni)
Also, commanders from the department, the company, the battalion and the brigade may be interrogated by the IDF in order to understand in depth the processes that preceded the operational employment, the entry into activity on the seam line and the hours preceding the shift near the perimeter fence. Following the operational investigations, the safety procedures in the shift, and the instructions to open fire, were refined. The center said today: "A pair of fighters should not be separated in any way and if this is the case?
The commanders were supposed to refine for those fighters how to conduct themselves for identification purposes.
To give them clearer tools."
The shooting fighter expressed to his commanders the desire to visit Natan's family and express to them his immense pain. Army officials estimate that the meeting may take place in the next day after the investigations at the Defense Ministry, accompanied by the commanders.
Earlier this evening Pitousi was laid to rest in the military section of the cemetery in Netanya.
Hundreds of people came to the funeral.
Pitosi's parents paid tribute to him in French.
"You were always special and unusual, your whole life was a prayer," his father eulogized him.
"There is now a new star in the sky. You left without saying goodbye to your family and friends. You are not the one who died, but I."
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