Israeli military finds no negligence in killing of farmer near Lebanon border

March 29 (Reuters) – The Israeli military said on Sunday it found no negligence or ethical lapses by officers involved in the killing of Israeli farmer Ofer Moskovitz near the Lebanese border earlier this month.

The head of Israel’s Northern Command said on March 23 that Israeli forces misfired their artillery fire and killed 60-year-old Moskovitz, an avocado farmer from the town of Misgav Am.

The military initially attributed the incident to cross-border fire from Lebanon.

“The investigation revealed that the fire was started during an operational incident providing close support to maneuver forces,” the Israeli army said in a statement. he said.

“It was also determined that the error was caused by a combination of various operational factors and suboptimal firing conditions. Moreover, no negligence or any ethical lapses were identified among those involved in the firing process within the artillery unit.”

The army said the chief of ground forces had ordered the introduction of a stricter operational directive on artillery fire against civilian populations and infrastructure.

Israel launched a major ground offensive and airstrike in Lebanon against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which began firing on Israel on March 2, two days after the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran began.

(Reporting by Hatem Maher and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Susan Fenton and Ros Russell)