IDF Investigation Finds Unclear Circumstances in Death of Reserve Officer in Tel Village Attack

The IDF spokesperson released the investigation report on the attack in the village of Tel, where Lieutenant Colonel Yuval Ezra and Reserve Captain Benyahu Malat were killed. The report, presented to Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, revealed that the Israeli group's visit to the area, which led to the clashes, was conducted without the required coordination and approval from security authorities.

The investigation also found that during the evacuation of Lieutenant Colonel Ezra from the scene, Reserve Captain Malat remained wounded on the ground for several minutes, receiving care from a civilian medic without military presence. Furthermore, the combat unit arrived at the incident outnumbered, and the soldiers' operational performance was deemed deficient.

Significantly, the report concluded that it is impossible to definitively determine the cause of Malat's fatal injury. It remains unclear whether he was killed by gunfire from militants or by IDF fire intended to neutralize the attackers.