Parents of Sergeant Evyatar Yosefi, the soldier from the paratroopers unit killed during a navigation exercise told Israel Hayom newspaper that their son’s friends were briefed in anticipation of an investigation of the tragic incident.
The newspaper said that many of soldiers made it clear to their parents that they were forbidden to talk about what happened, including with their parents and family members who asked about the events and protocol established prior to the death of Sergeant Yosefi.
Some of soldiers had told their parents that prior to the military police investigation, they were briefed by commanders on what was and was not proper to say about the incident.
The newspaper reported that commanders made it clear to the soldiers, even before the official investigation, that Sergeant Yosefi did not have to cross the stream into which he was swept, because he had not received an explicit order to do so.
The newspaper noted that “This is a controversial version, because a number of solders claim that during the exercise, they had asked the control room if they were to cross the stream and they were answered, ‘Be strong.'"
According to the IDF Spokesperson’s office, “Following the incident in which Sergeant Evyatar Yosefi fell on January 7, 2019, a Military Police investigation was opened and will be conducted by a team of experts. Naturally, we will not be able to relate to the issues that are being investigated until the investigation has been completed. The IDF shares in sorrow of the Yosefi family.”