from PressTV
A Golani Brigade soldier has revealed that Israeli troops
near Gaza were ordered to stand down from routine patrols on October 7,
fueling suspicions that the Israeli leadership may have had
foreknowledge of the Hamas operation.
Israeli soldier Shalom Sheetrit, who was stationed at the Pega
military outpost near Kibbutz Be'eri, testified about unusual orders he
received on the morning of the 7 October Hamas operation. He said he and
his fellow troops were instructed not to conduct their daily border
patrol along the Gaza fence.
“We were playing on the phone [at 5:20 am] and suddenly a strange
message comes from my battalion commander,” Sheetrit said, the Cradle reported,
citing Israeli media outlets. “And what he says on the call is
something like this: ‘I don't know why, but an order was issued that
there are no patrols at the fence until nine in the morning.’”
The Hamas operation, dubbed Al-Aqsa Storm, targeted multiple Israeli
military posts, including the Pega outpost, where 14 soldiers were
killed.
When asked if the order contributed to the vulnerability of soldiers,
many of whom were reportedly still asleep, Sheetrit said he could not
confirm, adding, “I don't want to just say that.”
He admitted that their unit failed to defend Kibbutz Be'eri, where
over 100 Israelis died in what became one of the deadliest battles.
Following the operation, Israeli forces launched heavy airstrikes,
including attacks by Apache helicopters and drones. These strikes,
reportedly in line with the Hannibal Directive, aimed to prevent Hamas
from abducting hostages but led to the deaths of both Israeli settlers
and militants...
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