An IDF solider was killed this evening by friendly fire on the border with the Gaza Strip, the army has confirmed. According to an army spokesman, the IDF received a report of three Palestinians who had crossed the border fence between Re’im and Kissufim. IDF forces, including a tank unit, were summoned to the scene.
Three soldiers descended from the tank and approached the fence by foot due to a regulation forbidding them from firing shells in the area for fear of hitting civilians.
At the same time, a jeep of soldiers from the army’s Golani brigade also arrived in the area. Believing the tank troops to be terrorists, the Golani soldiers opened fire.
One soldiers was killed before the troops realized their error and ceased firing.
The three Palestinian infiltrators were captured and brought in for interrogation. During questioning, it became clear that the three were not terrorists but had attempted to enter Israel to look for work, the army said.
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel/Haaretz}
The policy of Bending over backwards not to kill “innocent civilians” does cost the army lives .
But in the meantime it cost the life of an Israeli soldier! Hashem Yerachem!