The IDF came under fire this past week, but it was not on any battlefield: it was on social media.
Soldiers managed to thwart an attempted stabbing attack on Tuesday after a suspect approached soldiers and pulled out a knife in the Samaria region of the West Bank.
IDF troops just spotted a suspect who drew a knife and attempted to stab an IDF soldier who was operating south of Nablus. The troops operated to stop the assailant. No IDF injuries were reported.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 9, 2021
The IDF released a statement with the image of a knife attached – but it was not the knife used in the attempted attack.
לוחמי צה"ל זיהו לפני זמן קצר אישה חשודה סמוך לצומת יצהר שבמרחב החטיבה המרחבית ״שומרון״. החשודה שלפה סכין וניסתה לדקור לוחם צה"ל ששהה במרחב. הלוחמים פתחו בנוהל מעצר חשוד שכלל ירי לעבר פלג גופה התחתון של המחבלת. אין נפגעים לכוחותינו pic.twitter.com/dwoUE9wEEC
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 9, 2021
Users were quick to point out the error, displaying evidence of that same image being used in reference to a 2018 attack.
The IDF released a retraction the following day, saying that the wrong photograph was accidentally used due to "human error."
"Throughout the night, a picture of a knife from a thwarted stabbing attack near the Yitzhar Junction in the Samaria Regional Brigade Area was distributed," the IDF said in the statement. "Upon further investigation into the source of the image, it was found that due to human error in the transfer of documentation from the scene of the incident, the wrong knife photo was distributed."
The IDF concluded, "The incident was investigated and the relevant procedures were clarified."
The following photo was the knife that was actually used in the attempted attack.
Many continued to criticize the IDF online for misconduct regarding important criminal evidence.