In one of his first moves, new Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir decided on Tuesday to close a criminal case against a senior reserves officer who was facing charges over his involvement in the circumstances that led to the deaths of a soldier and a civilian researcher in southern Lebanon in November 2024.

Col. (res.) Yoav Yarom will not face criminal charges. Ofir recommended instead that he be disciplined within the military. Prosecutors in September had said they would seek to file an indictment against the reserve officer, accusing him of reckless homicide.

The Israel Defense Forces said that an investigation into another individual involved in the incident would also be closed without criminal proceedings.

The families of Sgt. Gur Kehati, 20, and civilian researcher Ze’ev Erlich, 71, were updated on the decision, the IDF said. Kehati’s family slammed Tuesday’s decision, the attorney representing them in the case said. “The minimum that is required is that those responsible for the disaster be held accountable for their crime,” he said.

On November 20, 2024, Yarom — who served as chief of staff of the Golani Brigade in the reserves — allowed Erlich to enter the western sector of southern Lebanon, in IDF uniform, to examine an archaeological site without the necessary approvals. Erlich had long served in the military reserves despite his advanced age, but was not in active service at the time of his entry into Lebanon.

The visit took........

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