Documentation from the scene of the incident on the Egyptian border, and the Chief of Staff's investigation at the point (IDF Spokesman)
A little more than a day has passed since the three fighters: Lia Ben Nun, Ohad Dahan and Uri Illouz fell by a terrorist who infiltrated from Egypt, and the circumstances of the shooting are still unknown, although as the hours go by, more and more new details are revealed. A military source serving in the sector where the fighters fell, the Har Harif area, who was present at the time of the incident, told Walla! "At least one weapon had a Mac Fork inside. That means there was no shooting at the terrorist, he surprised them."
"The female fighter was inside the post and the fighter outside it, 12 hours shift. What does everyone expect? What did you think soldiers would spend 12 hours at the post?" the source wondered. When the forces arrived at the scene, he said, the findings at the scene indicated that the incident had occurred several hours earlier.
The military source added, "After the terrorist shot the two soldiers, he walked east. At least from what we understand, he understood that he would die and he did not try to return to Egypt. Anyone in this sector walks around without water, in this heat, dries easily, and from what we understand, he had no water. He walked around with a rifle, magazines, a Koran and a commando knife. Even before the brigade commander reached the sector, the forces noticed the Egyptian policeman praying from a distance. They weren't closed at first that it was a terrorist, he was very far from the force. I didn't see any drones in the sector at first."
Ohad Dahan, Lia Ben Nun and Uri Iluz (Photo: official website, none)
Regarding the attack on the terrorist in which Ohad Dahan fell, the military source said, "With a 5.56mm bullet, you can't reach him. I don't know why they didn't bring a Negev machine gun, they had to shoot at it, they could have pinned it from a distance until a combat helicopter arrived, they could have brought a combat helicopter from the air. Why did he have to charge at the terrorist? Why risk the force?"
A reserve military source who served in the sector until recently added: "There is a manpower shortage in the sector, there are not enough fighters for such a long sector. Everyone is surprised that the operations room didn't ask the fighters what was going on with them for several hours, that's the routine, so they won't tell stories. There are other sectors, like in the Gaza Strip, where this is a clear procedure. You move 100 meters from your point, and straight everyone goes up in front of your tour. On the Egyptian border, it's completely different. Not to mention senior commanders who come for visits and patrols without weapons."
Subsequently, the reservist severely criticized the conduct of the Southern Command echelon, including those serving in the Egyptian border area: "The atmosphere there is one of goodness. A border of peace with all that this implies. But in practice? These are Caracal and Cheetah battalions that serve on the line for eight consecutive months at best, and then embark on a short training that does not come close to training a battalion in the Golani or paratroopers. From time to time there is drug smuggling and what happens when you prepare in advance? Or is there prior intelligence? The undercover unit of the Border Police is allowed to lead, and the IDF usually assists in the envelope. The combination of them undoubtedly thwarts smuggling."
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The tent used as a military post on the Egyptian border, June 3, 2023 (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
The military source in the reserves referred to the temporary positions stationed along the border fence with Egypt: "They are placed there (close to the border fence - A.B.) because there is no good view of the border, it is defined as a blind spot, and the Egyptian army knows this. Smugglers know this, too. It's not for nothing that the Egyptian policeman chose to go there."
"What did you expect from soldiers who sent them to a 12-hour shift? A reservist still somehow has a responsibility to his family, the regular soldier is worn out," he added. "This has been his decree for many months. I think the main mistake was in placing two fighters for such a long shift, the big question is who approved two fighters in the position. It's not the only position with two soldiers, and to say it's temporary is insulting – it's not true."
Apart from the fact that two combatants were assigned to a long shift, the deployment of a combatant and a female combatant is not possible, since it contravenes the IDF's Joint Service Ordinance.
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