A civilian Defense Ministry contractor was killed in an incident of so-called “friendly fire” in the central Gaza Strip today, the military announces.
He is named as Jacob Avitan, 39.
Avitan was contracted to operate an excavator to clear structures and rubble in Gaza. The Defense Ministry has hired numerous civilians with construction experience for these tasks, freeing up IDF units.
According to an initial IDF probe, the contractor arrived at an army post inside Gaza, in an area of the Netzarim Corridor where troops are still deployed, and was mistakenly identified as a threat. A soldier opened fire on Avitan, killing him.
The IDF Military Police is investigating the incident.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
