The IDF investigation commissioned by Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon into last week's evacuation of Gilad issued its findings last night. The report states that the forcible evacuation of Gilad Farm on Shabbat was "a serious foul-up with repercussions that could affect the soldiers' trust in their officers."
Yaalon determined that the rule that IDF forces may be activated on the Sabbath only in life-saving matters was not adhered to in the case of the uprooting of the Gilad Farm, and therefore the forces should not have been activated as they were. The committee said that it could be that the intense fighting of the past two years caused confusion as to what was permitted on the Sabbath, but on the other hand, "this foul-up indicates a lack of awareness and internalization of the importance of the Sabbath." The Chief of Staff has therefore ordered the matter to be discussed at the upcoming General Staff meeting, "and given an order to re-issue the orders, and to internalize the significance and the lessons for both officers and soldiers in all the units and commands in order to prevent incidents of this nature from recurring."
Yaalon determined that the rule that IDF forces may be activated on the Sabbath only in life-saving matters was not adhered to in the case of the uprooting of the Gilad Farm, and therefore the forces should not have been activated as they were. The committee said that it could be that the intense fighting of the past two years caused confusion as to what was permitted on the Sabbath, but on the other hand, "this foul-up indicates a lack of awareness and internalization of the importance of the Sabbath." The Chief of Staff has therefore ordered the matter to be discussed at the upcoming General Staff meeting, "and given an order to re-issue the orders, and to internalize the significance and the lessons for both officers and soldiers in all the units and commands in order to prevent incidents of this nature from recurring."