Residents of the Gaza border town Netiv Haasara claimed Monday that soldiers stationed there on security duty left their posts of their own accord earlier that day, leaving the town vulnerable to attack. The Israel Defense Forces claim there was no harm done to security in Netiv Haasara. "It is simply shocking that the IDF could allow such a thing to happen, especially in a town like Netiv Haasara," said a resident named Ilan. "The soldiers decided to leave on their own,"said Pnina Ragolsky, who leads the community's local committee. "This is a serious mishap, this should not happen." According to her, when it was discovered that the gate into the town had been left unmanned, the local security team called the IDF's Gaza Division, who assured them that the issue would be "dealt with immediately." The IDF said the soldiers did not leave their posts of their own accord. A military official told Israel Hayom that in addition to the security forces permanently deployed in the area, there are now an additional five companies posted to secure towns along the Gaza border, including Netiv Haasara and Nahal Oz. "The residents are upset because there was no one guarding the gate, but, operationally speaking, who says there needs to be a guard posted at the gate," the official said. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit released a statement saying, "Givati forces are in Netiv Haasara to defend and protect the town. How forces are spread throughout the town is determined by operational considerations and assessments of the [security] situation."
