An Israeli reservist who served hundreds of days in the IDF since the start of the war has been barred from leaving India after a bullet was found in his backpack at an airport in the country's north, Israel Hayom reported Monday.
Yonatan Levi, 24, who served intermittently and intensively in the reserves over the past three years, was arrested on September 15 at the airport serving Dharamshala, moments before he was due to board a flight back to Israel. His family says he was unaware the bullet was in his bag.
According to a police statement cited by Mako, security staff at Kangra airport spotted the round during a baggage check, and police said Levi was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation. During questioning, he said the bullet had ended up in his luggage by mistake, likely from his military service.
After three days in police custody and six more in prison, Levi was released on bail on Wednesday, September 23. A district court in Dharamshala approved his release despite police objections that he is a foreign national and the investigation is ongoing. The judge ruled that no weapon had been found in his possession and that he had already been questioned during his detention, so there was no justification for keeping him in custody.
The court set bail at 100,000 rupees, guaranteed by a local resident for the same amount, and ordered Levi to cooperate with investigators, provide police with his local address and contact details, and not leave India without the court's permission. Police confiscated his passport and sent his phone for forensic examination.
The trip was meant to be a well-earned break after his extended reserve duty. His family is now appealing to the public for help to bring him home. "Yonatan gave everything for the country in recent years," the family said, adding that every donation and every share would help return him safely.
Levi's case is the latest in a series of Israeli reservists arrested abroad over ammunition left in their luggage after military service. In July, an Israeli reservist returned home after eight months in prison in Thailand, where he was arrested during his honeymoon after a magazine with bullets was found in his bag. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with him on his return and thanked the couple for their reserve service.
