An Israeli soldier was killed overnight in firearm incident at a military base in the central part of the country, the Israeli army announced Tuesday morning in a statement.
The Military Police are investigating the incident at Anatot Base on the outskirts of East Jerusalem, and the findings will be submitted to the Military Advocate General’s Corps. Suspicion of gunplay is being investigated.
The victim was identified as Corporal Baruch Kabrat, 19, from Petah Tikva in central Israel. His family was notified. He is survived by two parents and six siblings.
The soldier who allegedly discharged the bullet was arrested, and the investigation revealed that at the time of the shooting, other soldiers were also present in the room. Corporal Kabrata's funeral will be held Tuesday at 15:00pm, at the military cemetery in Petah Tikva.
It has not yet been determined whether the accidental discharge of the weapon was accidental or intentional, although so-called "friendly fire" incidents have been acknowledged as a problem by the military.
In August of last year, Staff Sergeant Natan Fitoussi was killed by friendly fire following an identification error. In January 2021, two officers were killed in a friendly fire incident in the Jordan Valley. The two soldiers were engaged in an unplanned search for night vision equipment that was stolen from their camp the day before when they were shot by Israeli troops.