Investigation into the circumstances of the death of IDF soldier Evyatar Yosefi Z”L in a training accident, revealed that the method of preparing the training exceeded the army’s orders, did not match the characteristics of the training series, was accompanied by many mishaps and carried out at a low standard, characterized by a lack of details.

Following the investigation, the Chief of Staff decided that a command reprimand would be recorded for the Paratroopers Brigade Commander, and the Chief of the General Staff decided that the following commanders would be removed from their command assignments.

• The battalion commander, an officer of the rank of lt.-colonel
• The assignment commander, a major
• The company commander, a captain
• The deputy company commander, a lieutenant
• The team commander, a 2nd lieutenant

According to the investigation, conducted by a team of experts led by Etzioni Brigade Commander Oren Simcha, the decision to go out to practice in the inclement weather conditions, in addition to the terrain conditions and the physical and mental burden, increased the complexity of the training and its risks, and without taking the necessary measures to deal with the existing conditions.

Investigators also blame the decision to continue training despite the many warning signs that arose during the course of the operation, which led to the loss of control of the commanders of the training on the situation of soldiers in the field.

In addition, the process of preparing the training and the manner in which they were carried out did not include the initiation and professional control and the responsibility required of commanders. “The conduct of the chain of command at the event, in a manner inconsistent with what is expected of IDF commanders, is what created the conditions that led to the tragic result,” they concluded.

In the course of the investigation, the chief of staff ordered a series of systemic directives to improve the safety response in the IDF units in general and in the special units in particular, which will be implemented immediately by the deputy chief of staff and the ground forces.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief of staff noted that “this is a very difficult event, which resulted in a tragic result, which is rooted in a series of mishaps and mistakes in the preparation of the training and the manner in which it was carried out. There was  unprofessional behavior throughout the chain of command, which led to the dismantling of the training framework before the eyes of the commanders and without doing anything to prevent it.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)