Last update - 00:00 12/08/2007
Company commander who left soldier behind in Gaza receives citation in record
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
The commander of the Golani Infantry Brigade on Sunday ordered that an incident last month in which an Israel Defense Forces soldier was left behind in the Gaza Strip be noted in the company commander's record.
The decision follows the completion of an internal inquiry into the matter conducted by the Gaza Division.
According to a preliminary investigation, soldiers from the Golani infantry Brigade's Battalion 51 were operating southeast of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip.
On their way back to Israel, the force stopped some 700 meters from the border fence, and the soldier fell asleep.
IDF troops regularly count off in order to prevent soldiers from separating from the force, but it appears that during the count-off, one of the soldier's friends answered for him, and his absence was not noted.
The soldier was finally located after he shot tracer bullets in the air, and waved a florescent "sticklight" to identify himself.
He was described as "exhausted and scared" and returned safely to his base.