Civilian Contractor For IDF In Gaza Mistakenly Identified As Terrorist And Killed

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A civilian contractor working for the Israeli Defense Ministry in the Gaza Strip was killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday after being mistaken for a terrorist operative during operations in the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, according to an IDF announcement.

Kobi Avitan, 39, from Eilat, was killed while carrying out “engineering work for the IDF on behalf of the Ministry of Defense,” the army said.

The Military Advocate General’s Office has ordered a probe into the incident by the Military Police Corps, according to the statement.

“The IDF shares in the grief of the family,” it added.

An initial investigation revealed that he was likely moving in a restricted area when gunfire was opened toward him.

Avitan was a military tractor operator, employed as a contractor within the IDF’s operations for dismantling positions in the Netzarim corridor and redeploying to rear areas. As part of his work, he arrived in civilian clothing at a guard post in a military position within the corridor area. The soldier at the post identified him, mistakenly thought he was a terrorist posing a threat, and therefore shot and killed him by mistake.

Avitan leaves behind a wife and three children, one of whom is only 10 months old, according to the report. A date has reportedly not been set yet for the funeral, as the family is waiting for his brother, who was abroad.

Avitan’s death marked the first deadly incident for Israel in the coastal enclave since Jan. 13, when five members of the army’s Nahal Brigade were killed in action fighting Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip.

The death toll among Israeli forces since the start of the IDF ground incursion in Gaza on Oct. 27, 2023, currently stands at 408, and at 841 on all fronts since the Hamas-led terrorist assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

JNS contributed to this report.