The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Knesset will convene next week for an urgent session following serious allegations from the parents of soldiers in the 605th Battalion regarding ongoing safety failures in the Puma APC used in the Gaza Strip.
The session will take place several weeks after the deaths of seven soldiers who were killed in an IED attack on such a vehicle.
In the letter attached to the request to hold the session, it was reported that the families warned of severe series of faults in the APC, including improper closure of the top hatch, lack of ventilation systems, recurring malfunctions in propulsion systems, lack of a rear rescue hatch, and the absence of external cameras.
Additionally, it was noted that the APC's armor is weaker than other vehicles in IDF service. The parents emphasized that although better equipment is available at IDF bases, they were not allocated to the battalion.
The parents also claimed that although the failures have been recognized for some time by the Defense Ministry, they have not been addressed or thoroughly examined.
MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit), who led the initiative, stated, "It is inconceivable that frontline soldiers, fighting bravely and devotedly for months, should continue to operate under dangerous and faulty operational conditions. This is a failure that requires urgent investigation and immediate correction."