Family of fallen soldier considers petition against Gantz

Relatives of Madhat Yusuf, killed in Nablus in October 2000, blame IDF chief candidate for abandoning injured soldier to die.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Madhat Yusuf 311 (photo credit: Courtesy Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Madhat Yusuf 311
(photo credit: Courtesy Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
The family of a Border Police soldier killed in Nablus in October 2000 is considering filing a petition with the High Court of Justice against the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz as IDF chief of General Staff, Israel Radio reported on Sunday.
Madhat Yusuf was killed at Joseph's Tomb and his family claims that Gantz, then-commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, did not rescue the injured soldier and did not take responsibility for the incident.
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The fallen soldier's brother, Mahdi Yusuf, said in an interview with Israel Radio that neither Gantz nor any other IDF officer gave the a family a plausible explanation of the events which led to Yusuf's death and therefore they are considering a challenge in the High Court against Gantz being the IDF's next chief.
Yusuf, a Druse from from Beit Jann, died of wounds sustained during fierce fighting at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus at the outbreak of the second Intifada. He was wounded in the neck by a bullet and died after Palestinian security forces prevented his medical evacuation for over five hours.
In an attempt to evacuate him from the compound, then- OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yitzhak Eitan asked senior Palestinian security officials to halt the gunfire. Former chief of General Staff Shaul Mofaz arrived at a field headquarters set up nearby to supervise the operation, and the IDF warned it would enter the city if the Palestinians failed to comply.
The IDF never carried out the operation to attempt a rescue of Yusuf.