IOF GOC Southern Command Yoav Galant decided Monday to dismiss an infantry officer, whose troops wounded a 14-year-old Palestinian girl last month while employing the banned "neighbor policy" in which Palestinian civilians are ordered to assist troops in arresting wanted militants.
The High Court of Justice banned the use of the "neighbor policy" two years ago, saying it violates international law.
According to an inquiry into the incident, troops from a special infantry unit surrounded a Beit Hanun house on July 12, in which ‘militants‘ were believed to be holed up. After several family members exited the house, troops ordered the mother to go back inside and bring out additional people. The mother in turn sent her 14-year-old daughter Rena Mufid.
A different force from the same unit, which was unaware of the fact that the girl was sent back inside, saw what it believed to be a suspicious figure and opened fire, wounding Mufid in the stomach.
Mufid was evacuated by helicopter to Soroka Medical Center in Be‘er Sheva, and was released from hospital several days later.
Galant summarized the inquiry‘s findings Sunday, calling it a severe incident in which there were serious operational and moral failings.
Among other things, the inquiry pointed to the use of the "neighbor policy," the lack of coordination between the troops such that one of the forces was unaware of the fact that the girl had reentered the house, and unjustified fire directed at an unarmed person.
In addition to the lieutenant who was removed, the incident was noted in the battalion commander‘s record. The Investigative Military Police are probing the incident.
The Investigative Military Police are also currently conducting an investigation into former commander of IDF troops in the West Bank, Brigadier-General Yair Golan, on suspicions that he approved the use of the "neighbor policy" in rare cases.