An IDF combat soldier serving in one of the fighting companies in the Gaza Strip sent a message this week to his battalion commander, presenting a concerning picture from the field and harshly criticizing the current security policy in the sector.
The message, which was also shared in the platoon’s group chat, received support from fellow soldiers.
“In the past week, events in our sector have been escalating daily,” the soldier wrote. “A line — which served as the close security perimeter and a clear principle set by the brigade commander — was breached. Every day this past week, hundreds of terrorists — or more — crossed it.”
He went on to critique the broader security perceptions surrounding IDF operations in Gaza: “From here, every word is unnecessary, because we live in a country that has spent a year and a half debriefing how we convinced ourselves that the Nazi terrorists were just ‘innocent Gazans’ who simply wanted to live in peace. And now, again, during humanitarian aid escort missions or security operations to protect those escorts, we are at times standing just 50 meters(!) from a frenzied crowd.”
The soldier drew a parallel between the current situation on the ground and past events that led to casualties among the forces: “During the chaos of the 2023 border fence riots, Hamas organized the infiltration plans into the Gaza-envelope communities. Today we talked among ourselves about Barel Hadaria, the undercover border police officer who was killed by a terrorist who, in a split second, stormed out of a protest with a handgun. Can anyone rule out that it could happen again here? Can anyone dismiss the possibility that, under cover of the crowd, someone is planning to exploit the breach?”
He also pointed to potential intelligence failures: “How is it that there’s no concrete warning leading to decisive action? How do we deal with something that’s already been written in blood? We’re working non-stop with observation posts and drones — and they’re doing a good job. But everyone knows it’s not airtight. It’s a well-known rule — the defensive line will always be breached.”
Concluding his letter, he quoted the battalion commander: “I’m quoting from your message to the battalion when we were assigned the escort mission: ‘We align and carry out orders while prioritizing the safety of our forces above all else.’ The safety of our forces has been eroded, and that’s what I’m warning about.”
He signed the letter: “A soldier in Company C. Writing on behalf of many of my comrades who feel the same as I do.”
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