Current:Home > FinanceIsraeli man indicted for impersonating a soldier and stealing weapons after joining fight against Hamas-LoTradeCoin
Israeli man indicted for impersonating a soldier and stealing weapons after joining fight against Hamas
View Date:2024-12-23 20:09:28
An Israeli man who never served in the military was charged with impersonating a soldier and stealing weapons after sneaking into an army unit and joining the fighting against Hamas.
According to an indictment filed Sunday, Roi Yifrach, 35, took advantage of the chaotic situation in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack to join combat operations and steal large amounts of military gear, including weapons, munitions, and sensitive communications equipment.
Israeli media said he spent time fighting in Gaza and even appeared in a photo next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during one of his visits to soldiers in the field.
Yifrach went to southern Israel on Oct. 7 and presented himself alternately as a combat soldier from elite anti-terrorism units, a bomb dispersal expert, and a member of the Shin Bet internal security service, the indictment said.
Police arrested Yifrach on Dec. 17 and found large amounts of weapons, grenades, magazines, walkie-talkies, a drone, uniforms, and other military equipment in his possession.
Eitan Sabag, Yifrach's lawyer, told Israel's Channel 12 TV that Yifrach went down to the south to help as a paramedic with a first responder organization, and fought bravely to defend Israel for more than two months. "He was helping people and helping rescue people, all under fire, while also fighting against terrorists," Sabag said.
Police also detained four other people, including a police officer, in connection with the weapons theft.
Israel says it's pulling some troops out of Gaza
Meanwhile, Israel's army said several thousand troops would be taken out of Gaza in the coming weeks, though it has not said publicly whether the withdrawal reflects a new phase of the war. The move is in line with the plans that Israeli leaders have outlined for a low-intensity campaign, expected to last for much of the year, that focuses on remaining Hamas strongholds.
Still, fierce fighting was ongoing Tuesday in central and southern Gaza. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled to the southern portion of the cramped enclave, with more than 85% of the population driven from their homes.
About 1,200 people were killed after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, with around 240 people taken hostage.
More than 21,900 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants among the dead.
Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza will continue for "many more months."
- In:
- Hamas
- Israel
veryGood! (475)
Related
- World leaders aim to shape Earth's future at COP29 climate change summit
- 110 funny Christmas memes for 2023: These might land you on the naughty list
- Last sentencings are on docket in 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
- San Diego police officer and suspect shot in supermarket parking lot during investigation
- Jason Statham Shares Rare Family Photos of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Their Kids on Vacation
- Recording Academy, ex CEO Mike Greene sued for sexual assault of former employee Terri McIntyre
- Man fatally shoots 11-year-old girl and wounds 2 others before shooting self, police say
- Why Prince Harry Says He and Meghan Markle Can't Keep Their Kids Safe in the U.K.
- NFL Week 11 picks straight up and against spread: Will Bills hand Chiefs first loss of season?
- Six Palestinians are killed in the Israeli military’s latest West Bank raid, health officials say
Ranking
- Homes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce burglarized, per reports
- How Andrew Garfield Really Feels About Fans Favoring Other Spider-Mans
- Georgia lawmakers send redrawn congressional map keeping 9-5 Republican edge to judge for approval
- The Bachelor's Joey Graziadei Breaks Down in Tears During Dramatic Teaser
- Kendall Jenner Is Back to Being a Brunette After Ditching Blonde Hair
- Florida student deported after being accused of injecting chemicals into neighbors’ home
- University of Michigan launches new effort to fight antisemitism
- Panthers TE Hayden Hurst details 'scary' post-traumatic amnesia diagnosis
Recommendation
-
‘Emilia Pérez’ wouldn’t work without Karla Sofía Gascón. Now, she could make trans history
-
National Board of Review, AFI announce best movies of 2023 honorees including 'Killers of the Flower Moon'
-
Virginia expects to wipe out pandemic unemployment backlog next summer
-
Actress Keisha Nash, Forest Whitaker's Ex-Wife, Dead at 51
-
Sports are a must-have for many girls who grow up to be leaders
-
Jon Rahm bolts for LIV Golf in a stunning blow to the PGA Tour
-
John Lennon was killed 43 years ago today: Who killed him and why did they do it?
-
White House proposes to 'march in' on patents for costly drugs