Current:Home > MyIsraeli man indicted for impersonating a soldier and stealing weapons after joining fight against Hamas -FutureFinance
Israeli man indicted for impersonating a soldier and stealing weapons after joining fight against Hamas
View
Date:2025-04-15 08:18:51
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! (2)
Related
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Dick Van Dyke, 98, Misses 2024 Emmys After Being Announced as a Presenter
- The Key to Fix California’s Inadequate Water Storage? Put Water Underground, Scientists Say
- Amy Grant says she was depressed, lost 'superpower' after traumatic bike accident
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- You need to start paying your student debt. No, really.
- Could YOU pass a citizenship test?
- Firefighters make progress in battling Southern California wildfires amid cooler weather
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- A Waffle House customer fatally shot a worker, police say
Ranking
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Betting on elections threatens confidence in voting and should be banned, US agency says
- Microsoft solves 365 outage that left thousands unable to access email, Teams, other apps
- Oregon tribe sues over federal agency plans to hold an offshore wind energy auction
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- An 8-year-old Ohio girl drove an SUV on a solo Target run
- Here's What Artem Chigvintsev Is Seeking in Nikki Garcia Divorce
- How Connie Chung launched a generation of Asian American girls named ‘Connie’ — and had no idea
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Why Kourtney Kardashian Has No Cutoff Age for Co-Sleeping With Her Kids
Henry Winkler and Ron Howard stage 'Happy Days' reunion at Emmys for 50th anniversary
Postal Service insists it’s ready for a flood of mail-in ballots
Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
Will same policies yield a different response from campus leaders at the University of California?
Below Deck Sailing Yacht Exes Daisy Kelliher and Gary King Have Explosive Reunion in Season 5 Trailer
Britney Spears Shares Rare Message to Sons Jayden and Sean Federline for Their Birthdays