After septuagenarian’s death in Lebanon, IDF probe finds war discipline increasingly lax

A team of experts probing discipline across the military amid the war in Gaza and Lebanon found that standards have become increasingly relaxed as the fighting has gone on, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday.

The team was appointed on November 21 by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, following an incident in which a 71-year-old Israeli civilian was killed — along with a soldier — during a gun battle with Hezbollah operatives, after entering southern Lebanon accompanied by a senior officer but without the required army approvals.

The team of 11 officers — mostly reservists — led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Moti Baruch was tasked with “formulating a detailed situational picture regarding the maintenance of operational discipline, the rules of conduct and norms in army units” on the northern and southern fronts, though not in the West Bank.

The team did not examine cases of suspected war crimes, which are probed by the Military Police and the General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism — an independent military body responsible for investigating unusual incidents amid the war.

“The team found that due to the operational fatigue of the various units, which have been in combat for over a year and three months, there was a growing relaxation of discipline and safety measures across various units, which manifested in the incorrect use of weaponry and led to operational accidents that could have been prevented,” the military said.

Regarding the unauthorized entry of civilians into combat zones, the team said this was not a common phenomenon, finding only a few incidents.

Among the subjects of the probe were the entry of the late Israeli researcher Zeev Erlich into Lebanon in November, an incident in which he and Sgt. Gur Kehati, 20, were killed and which is still under investigation; the entry of dismissed reservist Rabbi Tzvi Kostiner into Gaza in September; and the entry of an unnamed donor into the Gaza Strip on an unspecified date.

No officers have been reprimanded or faced punishment for these incidents as of yet.

The team was also unable to confirm claims that settler leader Daniella Weiss had entered the Gaza Strip. Weiss has claimed to have entered Gaza several times, although the IDF said it has investigated the claims extensively but has not yet found proof of this.

Regarding operational security, the team found that “as the campaign continued, there was a decrease in strictness on the issue, and there were even cases where cellular devices were openly used in combat zones.”

“This is reflected in the distribution of videos on social media, indicating the exact location of the units that operated there, and the distribution of videos from the battlefield that undermine international legitimacy,” the military said.

Regarding the IDF’s rules of appearance and dress code, the team found that “during the fighting, a phenomenon of widespread noncompliance developed in all areas, as well as the wearing of unregulated and unsupervised nonmilitary patches.”

The team also investigated several other subjects, including donations received by units, and the use of weaponry or other equipment that was not approved for use in the military.

Several recommendations were made by the team, including: strengthening operational standards and strengthening the foundations of military discipline; holding “learning days” on the subject of discipline, while taking measures in cases of violation of orders; strengthening safety during combat and formulating precise instructions regarding appearance and clothing; more regular breaks for combat troops, and more.

IDF chief Halevi ordered the military to implement the findings of the investigation across the military immediately, the army said.

Halevi also ordered the establishment of a mechanism whereby each division commander — combat officers ranked brigadier general — has a senior officer with the rank of major general as a “coach” to evaluate the discipline and safety situation in their division, “and together with the commanders they will create a learning and improvement process.”

Alongside the probe led by Baruch and the team of experts, the military is still investigating the incident in which researcher Erlich and Sgt. Kehati were killed in Lebanon.

According to an initial IDF probe, the 71-year-old was granted permission to enter Lebanon from Golani Brigade chief of staff Col. Yoav Yarom in order to examine an ancient fortress.

Despite the belief that the area Erlich was brought to had been cleared of Hezbollah operatives by the military, two members of the Iran-backed terror group were hiding at the site and opened fire at the researcher, the senior officer, and other soldiers who were accompanying them.

Yarom was moderately wounded in the battle and a company commander with the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion was also seriously wounded in the same incident.

The IDF retroactively recognized Erlich as a major in the reserves, despite him not being on active duty when he was killed.

The IDF Northern Command is carrying out a military investigation that may result in disciplinary action against those involved in allowing the civilian researcher into Lebanon, while the Military Police is probing suspected criminal acts.

“Due to the grave nature of the incident,” the IDF said Halevi has instructed that the military investigation not be concluded until the Military Police probe has been completed and its findings have been handed over to the Military Advocate General for review.

IDF sources said the Military Police has been ordered to speed up its investigation.

The findings of the investigations are to be presented to the families of Erlich and Kehati upon completion, and later to the public.