Soldier killed by friendly fire mistaken for infiltrator
Initial probe shows Natan Fitoussi shot after comrade apparently followed protocol
St.-Sgt. Natan Fitoussi, who was killed by friendly fire near the West Bank Palestinian city of Tulkarm late Monday night, was laid to rest at the Netanya Military Cemetery on Tuesday evening.
The 20-year-old soldier had lived in Netanya after immigrating to Israel from France. He was serving in the Kfir Brigade as a sergeant and was promoted posthumously to staff sergeant.
According to IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ran Kochav, Fitoussi had left his guard post, and when he returned, a fellow soldier did not recognize him and went through the procedure for engaging suspicious individuals but ultimately shot him.
A few hours later, Kochav said that it has not yet been definitively determined whether correct procedure was followed and that the incident was still under investigation.
The tragedy was initially reported as a Palestinian shooting attack carried out from a passing vehicle. T he IDF quickly updated that report to say the shooting was a case of friendly fire.
The commander of the Nachshon Battalion, Ran Cohen, eulogized Fitoussi on Tuesday evening. “We stand here today shocked and pained by Natan’s tragic fall. Shocked and pained by your untimely passing. Together with your family you immigrated to Israel,
and chose to enlist in a significant role as a soldier in the Kfir Brigade,” Ynet reported him as saying.
“You went through difficult training, you were a soldier imbued with motivation, desire and pride who took a significant part in the defense of the State of Israel and its citizens,” Cohen said. “Natan, my heart breaks from talking about you in the past tense. You were a good and beloved friend, the first to volunteer for any mission.
“There are no words in my mouth that can describe the pain, and there is no comfort in them,” he said. “We will continue to walk with you forever. I promise that we will do everything in our power to stand by your side to strengthen. Natan, dear warrior, I salute you on
your last journey. You will forever be a part of us.”
Fitoussi was taken to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, where he was pronounced dead. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi is expected to visit the site of the incident as part of the military’s investigation.
“Unfortunately, the fighter died of his wounds in the hospital,” a senior military officer said. “As far as we understand, the soldier was hit by two bullets, and one of them was fatal. At first, they thought it was fired from the Palestinian side, but later we ruled out the suspicion of an attack.”
Kohavi held an initial investigation of the incident on Tuesday afternoon with a number of IDF commanders.