Israel accuses man of infiltrating Gaza war zone by pretending to be soldier
The Israeli Prosecutor's Office has presented a formal accusation this Sunday against a man for posing as a soldier to join the Gaza war, stealing ammunition and, according to the media, posing for a photograph on the front line of combat with the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the confusion caused by the Hamas attack on October 7, dozens of soldiers and members of the security forces spontaneously showed up at the border to help repel the invasion by the Islamist militant group. According to the indictment filed in the Tel Aviv District Court, the defendant, Roi Yifrah, had never been a member of the Israeli army, but still managed to reach the combat zone by posing as a member of an elite IDF combat unit. Israeli domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet.
A photo broadcast by Channel 12 television shows a 35-year-old man, uniformed and equipped, posing with other soldiers next to Netanyahu. An Israeli official has confirmed that Yifrah had posed with Netanyahu, but said the prime minister was never in danger.
The ruse “facilitated (Yifrah's) access to firearms, ammunition, and military and police equipment,” the indictment says, adding that stolen loot found in Yifrah's home included an assault rifle, several types of bullets, smoke grenades and covers.
The five charges against him, including aggravated fraud and theft, could carry a maximum sentence of 36 years in prison. But Yifrah's lawyer has argued that his client “is a doctor who … saved lives under fire, risking his own life and eliminating terrorists.” (Reuters)
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