‘Israeli’ Soldiers on West Bank Lack Proper Living Conditions, Food & Medicine

By Staff, Agencies

‘Israeli’ Comptroller Matanyahu Angelman on Sunday published a report slamming the Zionist military for inadequate living conditions and logistic support for troops deployed to the occupied West Bank.

The report was based on surprise inspections carried out by the comptroller in bases during increased troop deployment in response to the recent wave of Palestinian resistance operations.

“The presumption of such deployment must be that it may last an extensive period of time, Angelman said in his report.

He found reserve troops were sent to the field without the proper logistical support including the supply of food and medicine and adequate living conditions.

"Our findings require immediate attention prompting my report. There’s no reason for soldiers to not receive food during their first week of deployment," he said.

Angelman's report inspected the Kfir infantry brigade, charged with ‘security’ in the occupied West Bank and along the apartheid wall. In a visit to the brigade's training base last August he heard from the troops that they often had to wait for a week before seeing a doctor, despite complaints, and months would pass before they could see a specialist.

The soldiers also said that dentist referrals were given weeks after reporting pain, despite the brigade employing two dentists.

Another soldier told the comptroller he had been waiting for four months to see an optometrist in order to be fitted with glasses, while another was feeling ill during a training drill, and was refused treatment by a medic in the Brigade.

Some soldiers said that poor hygiene standards made them suffer from diarrhea, with one of the soldiers suffering a more severe case that has yet to be treated. Repeated complaints by the soldiers mentioned they even had to use their hands to fill canteens because they were not supplied with the proper equipment.

The soldiers said their lunch menu was made up mostly of carbohydrates, but meat was only given one day a week. As a result, they said, they lacked the sufficient amount of proteins ‘to stay fit and face the physical challenges.’