An unusual incident unfolded on Saturday night at a checkpoint on Route 443 when a soldier was suspended from operational activity after he pointed his firearm at haredi passengers during an argument on a bus.
The incident, first reported by Yaakov Herschkowitz in Israel Hayom, began during a routine security inspection of vehicles on the highway. According to passengers on the bus, the bus entered the vehicle and demanded that a few of them disembark, claiming that the bus was overloaded.
Some of the passengers objected to the soldier's sudden demand, claiming that he had no authority to remove them from the bus. At that stage, according to witness accounts, tensions escalated, and the argument turned into a direct confrontation, culminating in the soldier drawing his weapon and pointing it at the frightened passengers.
"A loud confrontation began, and suddenly, he just pointed his rifle at us. People began to scream; there was terrible panic inside. No one understood how a routine inspection turned into a life-threatening incident."
The IDF Spokesperson Unit explained in response to the report that due to repetitive attempts by illegal entrants to infiltrate Israeli territory on public transportation, forces regularly search buses.
Addressing the incident, the military stated that the passengers were asked to leave the bus for inspection and questioning. However, the soldier's conduct was inappropriate and violated procedures.
Following the findings of the initial inquiry at the scene, it was decided to immediately suspend the soldier from duty and remove him from his current operational deployment in the area. At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces emphasized that the relevant procedures have been immediately reinforced among all forces operating in the sector, and that a full investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing.