Nearly ended in disaster
IDF Ousts Commanders After Near-Fatal Duvdevan Friendly Fire Incident
"Could have cost human lives": IDF releases findings on the January 11 friendly-fire incident in Shechem. A Duvdevan team commander was removed after troops mistakenly fired on comrades due to a navigation error. No casualties reported.
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) special forces from the elite Duvdevan Unit conducted an arrest operation in the Casbah area of Shechem (Nablus) on January 11, 2026, resulting in a friendly-fire incident due to a navigation error, according to an official IDF investigation released on Wednesday.
During the raid in the Samaria Brigade sector, soldiers mistakenly identified members of another unit on a nearby rooftop as armed enemies and opened fire on the building. No casualties were reported from the incident. The operation proceeded successfully, with two suspects wanted for terrorist activities being apprehended.
The mishap was reported in real time, prompting an immediate on-site debriefing that escalated through the command chain to Central Command Officer Commanding (OC) Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth.
The probe examined the operation's planning, execution, and overall conduct, concluding that a navigation mistake caused one force to position itself incorrectly within a neighboring platoon's sector, leading to the misidentification.Investigators emphasized that at no point were the soldiers themselves in the line of fire, and only small-arms weapons were used, no additional munitions were deployed.
As a result of the findings, the IDF implemented a series of binding corrective measures, including updated operational orders and procedures distributed to all involved personnel. To address deviations from expected standards, several commanders and soldiers faced disciplinary actions, including reprimands and removals from positions.
Central Command OC Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth summarized the investigation, describing the event as "an extremely serious friendly-fire incident that could have cost human lives." He praised the Duvdevan Unit as "an outstanding counter-terror unit that has conducted hundreds of successful operations during the war," adding that the force would "fully internalize the lessons and improve execution quality."
The disciplinary measures include: