Four IDF commandos jailed after soldier accidentally left behind in West Bank operation

A team commander, a squad commander, and two soldiers in the Maglan commando unit have been jailed after one of their comrades was mistakenly briefly abandoned in a building in the West Bank town of Qabatiya last week, in what the army describes as a “grave incident.”

According to the IDF, troops had left one building in the town and headed to another, while leaving behind a soldier who was asleep. After some 40 minutes, the soldier joined up with his team at the nearby site.

“The incident was immediately reported to commanders, and an in-depth investigation was conducted by the unit commander and the commander of the Commando Brigade,” the military says, adding that the findings were presented to the commanders of the 98th Division and the Judea and Samaria Division.

The military says the investigation found that the soldier had been forgotten at the site after an “incorrect report” was received stating that all troops were accounted for after they had left the building.

“The investigation determined that this was a grave incident that does not meet the standards expected of IDF soldiers and commanders, particularly in a special operations unit,” the army says.

Following the investigation, the IDF says a team commander, a squad commander, and two soldiers were sent to military prison, and a platoon commander will be summoned for a hearing with the commander of the 98th Division.