Israeli Soldiers Told to Avoid Capture 'At All Costs'

Al-Manar




26/01/2009 Israeli occupation soldiers who fought in the Gaza offensive were given orders to avoid "at all costs" being captured by Palestinian resistance fighters, an Israeli military source said on Monday.

Soldiers were told to open fire on anyone trying to capture them, even if this put their own lives in danger, the source said.

A lieutenant-colonel of the elite Golani unit told his men: "You must avoid at all cost that one of you be captured alive by Hamas, even if that means blowing yourself up with your grenades."

But the army insisted in a statement there were no orders for soldiers to kill themselves in case of capture and that the words of the officer were "aimed at strengthening their fighting spirit."

Military sources said Palestinian fighters sought on several occasions to capture Israeli soldiers during the December 27 to January 18 Israeli war against the Gaza Strip but the IAF immediately launches an air raid and kills its own soldiers.