Six months after the deadly Puma APC disaster, the IDF has refused the request of the families of the fallen soldiers to receive the full investigation into the incident, Kan News reported.
According to findings presented so far, the rear exit hatch of the armored personnel carrier was broken. The soldiers tied it shut with a rope, but it remained partially open. During an operational mission, a terrorist hurled an explosive device through the opening, killing seven soldiers.
The investigation further revealed that the APC’s cameras had not been functioning for an extended period. Battalion commanders were aware of the malfunctions but nevertheless approved the mission. The Puma APC is an aging vehicle and is not equipped with the Windbreaker active protection system against anti-tank missiles.
Killed in the attack were Staff sergeant Alon Davidov, 21, of Kiryat Yam; Lieutenant Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21, of Kfar Yona; Staff sergeant Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20, of Rehovot; Staff sergeant Niv Radia, 20, of Elyakim; Sergeant Ronen Shapiro, 19, of Mazkeret Batya; Sergeant Shahar Manoav, 21, of Ashkelon; and Sergeant Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20, of Eshhar. All seven served in the 605th Engineering Battalion.
The families have expressed deep anger over what they describe as a lack of transparency. One mother said, “I gave them a living child, and I want to know exactly what happened. What are they hiding from me? I trusted them. I gave them a child of gold, and now they have disappeared and forgotten him.”
Another bereaved mother said that the families were shown only a summary of the findings. “We asked for a copy of the investigation,” she said, “and then we were told it was not final and that there was no time because they were busy investigating the events of October 7.”
The IDF has pledged to present the full investigation to both the families and the public, but as of now, that has yet to occur.