Two companies of troops from the IDF’s Commando Brigade, which were deployed to the Gaza border during the Jewish holiday season in September and October, were sent to the West Bank just two days before Hamas’s October 7 massacre, according to a report.
The 100 or so soldiers were deployed to the West Bank’s Huwara, the Kan public broadcaster reported, following a shooting attack there against an Israeli family.
The commando soldiers had been deployed to the Gaza border by the orders of the Operations Directorate, and they were not part of the regular forces securing the border, according to Kan.
The IDF has previously said forces were not diverted away from the Gaza border to the West Bank ahead of the October 7 onslaught.
A large number of troops had already been operating in the West Bank amid a rise in terror over the past two years.
The IDF says it will investigate the circumstances that led to Hamas’s attack on October 7 after the war.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 4, 2023
