Israeli military finds no negligence in killing of farmer near Lebanon border

Army says artillery misfire caused by operational factors, not ethical failure

Syrians living in Lebanon wait at the Ministry of Interior Immigration and Passports Department, at the Syrian-Lebanese border, as they return to Syria due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Jdaydet Yabous, Syria, Mar 3, 2026. REUTERS

The Israeli military said on Sunday it had found no negligence or ethical failures by officers involved in the killing of Israeli farmer Ofer Moskovitz near the Lebanese frontier earlier this month.

The head of Israel's Northern Command said on Mar 23 that Israeli forces had misfired artillery, killing 60-year-old Moskovitz, an avocado farmer from the town of Misgav Am.

The military had initially attributed the incident to cross-border fire from Lebanon.

"The inquiry found that the fire was carried out during an operational incident providing close support to the maneuvering forces," the Israeli military said in a statement.

"It also determined that the error resulted from a convergence of several operational factors and non-optimal firing conditions. Alongside this, no negligence was found, nor was any ethical failure identified among those involved in the firing process within the artillery unit."

The military said the head of its ground forces had ordered the introduction of a stricter operational directive addressing artillery fire over civilian communities and infrastructure.

Israel has launched a major ground assault and air campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah, the Iran‑backed group that began firing into Israel on Mar 2, two days after the start of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.