Military officials are calling it a “miracle”, referring to an incident that occurred in Shomron about a month ago, when a platoon commander unintentionally fired a live bullet, which passed between two of his soldiers, slightly grazing one in the shoulder.

The exercise was supposed to have been “dry” as it is referred to in the IDF, without the use of ammunition, simulating a terrorist incident in an urban setting. At one point, the reserve duty officer pulled his pistol, pointed it at soldiers and fired. To the surprise of all present, a round was fired. The weapon, which was supposed to have been empty, contained a live round.

Brigadier-General Noam Tivon, who headed the investigation into the incident, reports the entire exercise was held in disregard of safety directives, revealing many dangerous occurrences that could have led to disastrous results. The platoon commander was suspended from his command and sent to jail for ten days. A decision is pending if he will be permitted to command soldiers again in the future.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)