The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi, held an initial debrief at the location in which the late Staff Sergeant Nathan Fitoussi was killed last night.
Participating in the debrief were the Commanding Officer of the Central Command, MG Yehuda Fuchs, the Commander of the Northern Corps and Commander of the Multi-Domain Joint Maneuver Array in the Ground Forces, MG Saar Tzur, the Commanding Officer of the Judea and Samaria Brigade, BG Avi Bluth, the Commanding Officer of the 99th Division, BG Barak Hiram, the Commanding Officer of the Menashe Brigade, COL Arik Moyal, the Commanding Officer of the Kfir Brigade, COL Sharon Atlit, as well as additional commanders.
The initial investigation shows that the incident occurred during operational activity in the Judea and Samaria security barrier. The review determined that the late Staff Sergeant Nathan Fitoussi left his guard post and, when he returned, was identified by another soldier as a threat. The soldier fired at the late Staff Sergeant Nathan Fitoussi. Immediately after understanding the misidentification, he reported the incident to his commanders who called for medical attention to the scene. The medical team arrived within minutes and provided the late Staff Sergeant Nathan Fitoussi with initial medical treatment. After resuscitation efforts in the field, the late Staff Sergeant Nathan Fitoussi was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
As part of the initial debrief, the Commanding Officer of the Central Command appointed the Commanding Officer of the 55th Brigade and Commander of the “Lachish” Training Base to lead an in-depth investigation. The team's conclusions will be presented to the Chief of the General Staff.
The Military Police opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident, at the end of which its findings will be forwarded to the Military Advocate General for further examination.
Following the visit, the Chief of the General Staff stated: “I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family of the late Staff Sergeant Nathan Fitoussi. Tonight's incident is severe, difficult and unfortunate, and we will review it in a thorough and professional manner- Protecting our people is an inseparable part of our operational abilities to defend the civilians of the State of Israel.”