Gantz Condemns Soldiers’ Role in Death of Elderly Palestinian

Defense Minister Benny Gantz condemned soldiers responsible for the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian man who suffered heart failure while in their custody in the village of Jiljilya on January 12.

When Omar As’ad refused to identify himself at an IDF checkpoint, soldiers tackled him to the ground and bound his hands with zipties, then moved him to a nearby construction site, where he was left on the ground in the near-freezing January night, according to the IDF investigation.

He was subsequently found dead at the site, and news of the incident sparked an international uproar. As’ad was an American citizen who had lived in the U.S. for many years,

“Along with the full support that we give to the IDF to carry out its mission — we will act against any deviations from the norms of IDF values, as we saw in the death of Omar As’ad. I was updated about the investigation, which was approved by the chief of staff, and I want to express sorrow at his death. The Military Police probe into this incident will continue,” Gantz says in a video statement on Tuesday.

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said: “The way they left that man on the ground was grave and unethical. There’s no contradiction between focusing on the mission and preserving the IDF’s values. IDF soldiers and commanders have the tools to handle that complexity,” Kohavi said.

“I expect every soldier and commander to conduct their mission with determination, to know how to fight, but also to respect human life and respect the IDF’s values,” he added.

In the wake of the probe, two junior officers were dismissed from their positions and barred from command roles for the next two years, and the commander of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, in which the soldiers served, will be formally censured.