The Media Line: IDF Probe Finds Israeli Artillery Fire Killed Farmer Ofer ‘Pushko’ Moskovitz in Misgav Am   

IDF Probe Finds Israeli Artillery Fire Killed Farmer Ofer ‘Pushko’ Moskovitz in Misgav Am   

By The Media Line Staff  

An Israeli military investigation found that farmer Ofer (“Pushko”) Moskovitz was killed by Israeli artillery fire that mistakenly struck kibbutz Misgav Am, not by Hezbollah fire, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a day after the incident.  

The inquiry, headed by Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo along with senior officers, concluded that an IDF artillery unit aiming at a village in southern Lebanon fired five shells that landed inside the kibbutz instead of the designated target. The fire mission had been intended to assist Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon.  

Investigators determined that two shells struck a house in the community, two hit vehicles near the local store, and one struck Moskovitz’s vehicle. The IDF said the sequence of errors that led to the strike was not supposed to occur and is still being examined.  

According to the findings, the rounds were fired at an incorrect angle and in violation of standard procedures, resulting in all five shells hitting the Misgav Am ridge rather than enemy positions. The military said the conclusions would be studied and applied by relevant units.  

Moskovitz’s family has been notified, the IDF said, adding that it regrets the incident and extends condolences to the family and the Misgav Am community. A more comprehensive and transparent follow-up review will be conducted, with findings to be presented first to the family and later made public.  

Members of the Misgav Am community described Moskovitz as a well-known and influential figure, calling him a farmer, spokesman, and a defining presence in local life, and said the Galilee would be changed by his loss.  

In a recent interview with N12, Moskovitz spoke about his connection to the land, saying this was their life and that they were continuing to build a future there, expressing hope that his grandchildren would one day walk through the orchards and recognize them as something he had planted.