IDF Probes Bint Jbeil Killing After Oketz Account Disputed
Published
The IDF said it is investigating who killed a Hezbollah gunman in Bint Jbeil after its initial account credited a female Oketz handler whose dog was killed during a building search. Reservists who took part in the scan say the gunman was killed later by soldiers after the first encounter, while another account says the terrorist had first been wounded and was shot after moving toward a weapon. The operation took place in the same structure where a reservist was severely wounded last Thursday; no Israeli soldiers were hurt in Tuesday's clash. The army said it will present findings transparently and learn lessons if a good-faith error occurred, while continuing security-zone operations against Hezbollah threats.
Sources
Difference in reporting
Sources factually disagree on who killed the Hezbollah operative and the sequence after the Oketz dog was killed: JNS reports the initial IDF account that an Oketz handler returned fire and killed the gunman during the building search; Ynetnews reports soldiers said no terrorist was killed in the initial exchange and later one terrorist surrendered while another was encountered; Jerusalem Post reports Army Radio's account that the terrorist was first wounded, negotiations followed, and a soldier shot him after he moved toward a weapon. The remaining facts are uniform: troops were searching in Bint Jbeil after a previous reservist was severely wounded, a Hezbollah gunman was involved, an Oketz dog was killed, no soldiers were wounded in the July 8 clash, and the IDF said the incident would be investigated.
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