Comptroller: IDF Anti-Terror Campaign Jeopardized by Logistical Shortfall

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM — The IDF’s ongoing counter-terrorism campaign in Yehuda and Shomron may have to be curtailed due to a lack of equipment, according to an “urgent” report issued by the State Comptroller’s Office on Sunday.

Comptroller Matanyahu Englman’s investigation found that the military’s doubling of troop strength and intensive combat operations have not been adequately backed logistically.

Specifically, troops stationed at the Yakir base said they were missing equipment needed for the raids, notably certain weapons and vehicles, and that the quality of weapons issued were low, saying that the often jammed.

Food was also a problem. The kitchen at the Yakir base is reportedly overloaded, as a a result of housing two battalions instead of the usual one, causing the quality and quantity of food to suffer.

At the Kfir Brigade training base, the report noted poor living conditions, among them included lack of shade, broken air conditioning units, and no cold water drinking fountains in the extreme heat of the Jordan Valley.

“It is not possible to accept a reality in which in a heat of over 40 degrees [Centigrade, 104 Fahrenheit] in the Jordan Valley, troops will not have basic drinking water that is not boiling, and will have to make do with ineffective air conditioners, some of which are not repaired due to a lack of budget,” the report said.

The level of medical care was found wanting, as soldiers can sometimes wait weeks to see a doctor or dentist, and “many months” before seeing a specialist after receiving a referral from a primary care physician.

“The reality of combat troops not seeing a doctor for months is unacceptable,” Englman said, stressing that “those enlisting in combat units should know that the State of Israel stands behind them.”

“The IDF is not sufficiently prepared, logistically, for the continuation of the fighting in [the region],” he concluded.

The IDF said in response that the problems cited do not affect troops’ competence and readiness, but conceded that some had been dealt with after Englman’s visits in August while others were still being worked on.