IDF lookouts who had warned their commanders that they were concerned about the situation along the Gaza border in the months before the October 7 attack were told to stop bothering them and even threatened with a court-martial, N12 reported on Saturday.
According to the report, the lookouts warned that they had seen unusual training and other actions taking place next to the border, with more and more people suddenly getting near the fence in the months leading up to the attack.
The lookouts felt that they weren’t being heard; one of them decided to go directly to a senior commander in the area and was told “I don’t want to hear again about this nonsense. If you all bother us again with these things, you’ll be court-martialed.”
N12 additionally reported on Saturday that lookouts who served along the Gaza border are not receiving psychological help from the army and were recently told that they would need to return to service within two weeks or be transferred elsewhere.
“The IDF and its commanders accompany all the soldiers who were present at the events of October 7 closely and sensitively,” the military told N12 in response to the report.
“The soldiers are accompanied by medical professionals from the mental health system, in addition to the continuous relationship with their commanders who are an envelope and an attentive ear. Their return to duty will be accompanied gradually, sensitively, and according to each one’s condition. There is no intention of taking disciplinary measures against them. If there were conversations that reflect otherwise, then they are against the guidelines and will be handled accordingly.”
Lookouts warned about unusual actions along Gaza border for months
In the weeks since the attack, lookouts who served along the Gaza border have told Israeli media that they had warned their commanders for months about unusual actions along the border, but were ignored.
One lookout said in a past N12 report that her commanders “discounted” her concerns, telling her “Hamas is just a bunch of punks, they won’t do anything.”
“I wasn’t seeing things; it wasn’t something usual,” she said. “We saw a ton of exercises. We would always look at them as if it was Channel 12. It was fun. It was interesting that they were doing exercises.”
“We would look at this and say [to each other]: ‘f&%*, come on—is this going to be against us one day, this s&*% that we’re so indifferent about?'”
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