Misgav Am, Israel. Israel said on Monday that its own forces misfired artillery that killed an Israeli farmer near the Lebanese frontier, the first Israeli civilian reported killed in the border conflict being waged in parallel with the war in Iran.
Incident and revised military assessment
The military had initially blamed cross-border fire from Lebanon when it first reported the incident on Sunday. In a statement, Major General Rafi Milo, who heads the military’s northern command, said: “Moskovitz was killed by our own forces’ fire during an operation whose entire purpose was to protect them.”
The military said troops had opened fire to support soldiers operating in southern Lebanon, but that “severe issues and operational errors” had taken place. It said the artillery fire was carried out at an incorrect angle and did not follow required protocols, resulting in five artillery shells being fired at the Misgav Am ridge instead of toward the intended target.
Victim identified
The victim was identified as Ofer Moskovitz, 60, an avocado farmer in the town of Misgav Am. He had spoken with Reuters last week and said he was worried about the fighting at the border. “Every five minutes you can hear the bombs,” Moskovitz told Reuters.
Wider conflict context
Israel has launched a major ground assault and air campaign into Lebanon to root out Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, which fired into Israel in support of Tehran two days after the start of the Israeli-U.S. air attacks on Iran.
Lebanese authorities say more than a thousand people have been killed and more than a million driven from their homes in Lebanon. The death of Moskovitz was the first reported in Israel, and the military says two Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat.
What impact will Israel’s revised account have on public understanding of the fighting along the Lebanese border?
