Last update - 00:00 03/08/2007
IDF probe finds gross misconduct by troops in Dahariya rampage
By Yuval Azoulay and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents
A probe by the Israel Defense Forces indicates gross misconduct in the Lavi Battalion after an officer and five soldiers went on a rampage last week in Dahariya, south of Hebron.
The officer and soldiers took over a Palestinian taxi and bound its driver, and while driving with him shot and injured a Palestinian in the town they said looked suspicious. They abandoned him bleeding and left Dahariya without reporting the incident to their commanders.
The affair, following reports by Palestinians, prompted GOC Central Command Gadi Shamni to conduct a rapid probe after which the entire company was barred from taking part in operations.
Shamni has also ordered an investigation on the norms and values in the battalion.
On Friday a military court extended the remand of the lieutenant and the soldier allegedly involved in the shooting, while the military police continued their investigation.
The suspects initially claimed that one of the soldiers had sprained his ankle during a morning patrol in the town and was no longer able to walk.
They said the officer then decided to stop and commandeer a Palestinian taxi.
The soldiers, belonging to the Lavi Battalion of the Kfir Infantry Brigade, went on to claim that after they had tied up the driver and taken control of the vehicle, another Palestinian approached the car.
The soldiers decided he was acting suspiciously and one of them fired shots in his direction, wounding him in the neck.
IDF sources said the initial investigation revealed that the soldiers had lied, and that none of them had sprained an ankle.
An undercover operation
Instead, the platoon had decided on its own to carry out an undercover operation, without coordinating the operation with their superiors.
They allegedly removed their uniforms, donned civilian clothing and then commandeered the taxi.
The affair has caused major concerns in the Central Command. Military sources said that harsh steps are expected against the soldiers and officers involved, including perhaps the dismissal of one of them.