Israeli military investigating brawl between senior officer, soldiers

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
31 Jan 2023 23:06

The Israeli occupation military says it is investigating a violent incident that happened between the Yehuda Brigade and the 51st Golani Battalion.

Israeli occupation forces in Al-Khalil (Archive)

The Israeli occupation army announced on Monday that it was investigating a "serious violent incident" in which a senior officer was beaten up by a group of soldiers during a brawl in an occupation base in Al-Khalil, The Times of "Israel" reported.

Eyewitness accounts and an initial probe indicated that the incident began on Sunday after the chief signal operator of the Yehuda Territorial Brigade insulted the deputy commander of the 51st Golani Battalion during a video conference call, according to the newspaper.

In response, the deputy commander ordered his troops not to allow the chief signal operator into the "Harsina" military outpost near Al-Khalil.

On Monday afternoon, the chief signal operator arrived at the base along with the deputy commander of the Yehuda Territorial Brigade and attempted to enter the base. However, a soldier stationed at the entrance denied access to the two officers.

Later, the Yehuda brigade deputy commander called up the 51st battalion deputy commander, who said that the commander could enter, but not the chief signal operator.

According to The Times of "Israel", "The two argued over the phone, before the senior officer again approached the soldier stationed at the entrance and asked to allow him in with the chief signal operator and other soldiers accompanying him."

"The soldier refused and told the officer to move back, and in response, the officer pressed his head against the soldier in an apparent threatening manner, and the soldier responded the same way. In response, the senior officer’s entourage pushed the soldier and spat in his face," the newspaper cited the probe as saying.

Following the incident, the soldier radioed in to the 51st Golani Battalion. Several soldiers, including the Battalion commander and his deputy, arrived at the scene, and a physical and verbal altercation erupted.

شجار عنيف بين جنود كتيبة تابعة
للواء غولاني مع نائب قائد لواء يهودا
بسبب اوامر لقوات جيش الاحتلال ،
رفض خلالها الجنود تنفيذ الأوامر..؟
مما لاريب فيه المقاومة الفلسطينية
وكل المجاهدين هم فخر الأمة رجال العزائم
#فريق_مجاهدون #فلسطين_تنتفض_وتقاوم pic.twitter.com/XKDBhYx7gX
— Esaam،Aldhari🇾🇪 (@Esaamy6) January 30, 2023

The probe continued that after the squabble, the 51st battalion deputy commander allowed the senior officer and his chief signal operator to enter the base. Once in, a warrant officer from the 51st battalion denied the chief signal operator and the deputy commander of the Yehuda Territorial Brigade access to a certain part of the base.

The probe added that the senior officer was furious and assaulted the warrant officer, before soldiers from the 51st battalion intervened, knocked the Yehuda brigade deputy commander to the ground, and attacked him.

In a statement, the Israeli occupation military confirmed that "the serious violent incident that happened today in the Yehuda Brigade is being investigated by the commander of the brigade together with the commander of Golani."