Israeli commander resigns over incident in which researcher killed in Lebanon
Israeli commander resigns over incident in which researcher killed in Lebanon
M.U.H
26/11/202423
A senior member of the Golani Brigade in the Israeli forces has resigned over an incident in which a controversial archeologist/historian got killed in southern Lebanon.
The chief of staff of the Golani Brigade, Colonel Yoav Yarom, asked to resign following last week's incident during which the historian was allowed into southern Lebanon, without the proper approvals, and was killed alongside an Israeli soldier.
In a letter to the commander of the Golani Brigade, Yarom said he takes full responsibility for the incident despite the fact that an official investigation has not been completed and asks to resign from his post.
Local media reported that Yarom had negligently decided to give 71-year-old Zeev Erlich, who was carrying a rifle dressed in full military attire and wearing a helmet, on a private tour of the Shamaa Castle, a historical landmark located in southern Lebanon.
Yarom and Erlich accompanied by a group of soldiers headed to the historical site 25 kilometers inside Lebanese soil.
In a statement released on November 21, Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement said two members of the group on a stakeout in Shamaa launched a strike on the Golani commander and his troops.
Erlich and Sgt. Gur Kehati were killed in the attack while Yarom and another Golani commander were wounded.
Following the incident, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli occupying forces, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, assigned a team of military experts led by a general to investigate the incident.
In addition, there is a military investigation into the incident led by Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin of the Northern Command. A separate criminal probe has been launched by the Israeli military police.
In the meantime, Zionist publicists have paid homage to Erlich, claiming he was a “renowned researcher” in the field of “exploring and colonizing the land of Israel.”
Elsewhere, Erlich was known as a person falsely claiming to have a deep knowledge of the Holy Land, notorious for twisting historical facts, fabricating and falsifying history, in an attempt to create justification for Tel Aviv's claims to Palestinian and Lebanese lands.
Erlich's unauthorized presence in southern Lebanon has been described as a potential security breach within the Israeli forces' chain of command, as well as a violation of international laws.
