A warning letter sent to the military roughly two and a half months ago cautioned of a potentially deadly disaster at the Goren Workshop base near the Lebanese border, where Rotem Yanai was killed on Wednesday, according to a report by Kan Reshet Bet.
Parents of soldiers stationed at the base, which has reportedly come under repeated attack, warned the IDF a life-threatening situation for troops whose duties did not require them to remain in an active combat zone.
“The base is continuously targeted by loitering munitions, drones, anti-tank missiles and rockets," the parents wrote in the letter.
Despite repeated appeals and urgent requests from families, the IDF allegedly chose not to significantly reduce the number of personnel at the base. According to the report, soldiers serving in roles deemed non-essential to combat operations remained stationed there, including welfare NCOs, discipline NCOs, communications personnel, cyber staff and logistics soldiers.
“There is no doubt that leaving the soldiers, and especially the female soldiers, who do not carry weapons at all, and who are not essential to the routine functioning of the Rotem Battalion headquarters, constitutes an unnecessary risk and a disregard for the soldiers’ lives," the parents wrote.
The families also warned that a tragedy was only a matter of time.
“It’s a matter of statistics until a loitering munition or an anti-tank missile hits and a disaster occurs, God forbid," the letter stated. “The soldiers’ quarters and the dining hall are not protected, and if that were not enough, warning time is minimal to non-existent."
The parents questioned the military’s rationale for maintaining such a large presence at the base under ongoing threat.
“It is entirely unclear what logic underlies the opposition to leaving only essential soldiers at the base, and even then in a reduced format, given the difficult circumstances," they wrote.
The letter also raised concerns over emergency procedures at the battalion during incoming attacks. According to the parents, soldiers who were not officers were instructed during alarms to leave the protected command post and run dozens of meters to a separate shelter.
“During an alarm, soldiers who are not in officer roles are asked to leave the command post, which serves as a protected area, and run to the shelter located some dozens of meters away," the letter said.
The parents further alleged that instead of addressing the deficiencies, commanders focused on calming concerns among troops and families, asking soldiers “to ease the pressure on the parents."
In response to the complaints at the time, the IDF acknowledged the operational challenges but defended the decision to keep forces stationed at the border base.
“There is a need for soldiers on the border because the command post is small," the IDF spokesperson said in response months before the incident. “More armored shelters were brought and there was an attempt to thin out the forces, but the essential forces are needed."