Military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has ordered severe disciplinary measures, including dismissal from service, against Col. (res.) Yoav Yarom, due to a November 2024 incident in southern Lebanon that resulted in the deaths of Sgt. Gur Kehati and civilian researcher Ze’ev Erlich.

In an announcement on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces said that Zamir accepted the findings of an operational debriefing into the incident and decided that Yarom would receive a severe command reprimand, be dismissed from reserve duty, and end his service in the IDF.

Zamir viewed the incident as a “grave operational failure” with tragic consequences, adding that some of the shortcomings point to broader cultural and operational gaps within the IDF that must be addressed at a systemic level.

Zamir’s decision followed Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir’s move to close a criminal investigation into Yarom’s actions earlier this month, while recommending that he be sanctioned at the command level.

That probe found serious flaws in Yarom’s conduct, including inadequate preparation and execution of the operation, as well as the entry of a civilian into a combat zone without the........

© The Times of Israel