Chilling number: How many soldiers were killed in operational accidents since October 7?

Maariv reports 160 soldiers killed in operational accidents since the start of the war, nearly 15% of all fatalities. The article focuses on the deadly accident in southern Lebanon where Captain Eliav Chaim Tzaflamos was killed, and on additional accidents, while presenting a high cumulative figure.

Maariv publishes a cumulative figure of 160 soldiers killed in operational accidents since the start of the war three years ago, constituting nearly 15% of all IDF fatalities. The article opens with the deadly accident in southern Lebanon where Captain Eliav Chaim Tzaflamos, a 21-year-old IDF officer from Haifa, was killed. The accident occurred in the Litani River area, on winding and steep routes, some unpaved, and the recent rain made movement difficult. A few days earlier, a similar accident occurred in the area when two jeeps from the 7th Brigade collided. Meanwhile, two soldiers from the Kfir Brigade were wounded in the western sector from an ammunition explosion, with the IDF determining the accident was caused by improper use of ammunition. The article claims that the phenomenon of operational accidents must raise a red flag at the General Staff, and that the prolonged fighting on seven open fronts, lack of training and operational breaks, and the heavy pressure on soldiers and commanders contribute to the numbers. It further claims that some armored vehicles and military equipment are not in proper mechanical condition due to the prolonged fighting.