IDF Issues New Guidelines on Weapon Safety Inserts Following Yehuda Junction Attack
Following a deadly terror attack at the Yehuda Junction, the IDF Ground Forces Inspectorate issued new guidelines regulating the operational use of weapon safety chamber inserts to prevent tactical malfunctions.
The head of the IDF Ground Forces Inspectorate, Colonel Yossi Penso, has distributed a formal directive clarifying the rules for carrying weapons and using safety chamber inserts, known as "mek-pork", following recent operational investigations into a deadly terror attack at the Yehuda Junction. The directive outlines the precise conditions under which soldiers are required to use the plastic safety device, alongside provisions allowing weapons to be carried without it based on operational necessities and commanders' explicit orders.
The safety insert is a plastic device placed in the weapon's chamber to visually indicate that no round is loaded. Its use became mandatory across the IDF in 2014 to reduce accidental discharges. However, recent investigative reports revealed that the insert can pose a severe tactical hazard during unexpected encounters with terrorists, as it must be physically removed before the weapon can be cocked and fired.
According to the findings from the investigation into the October 23 terror attack at the Yehuda Junction, two soldiers faced weapon malfunctions during the firefight because the safety insert remained in the chamber. One of the soldiers, who was subsequently killed in combat, managed to clear the malfunction, remove the device, and fire three rounds at the terrorists before being wounded.
Colonel Penso emphasized in the document that personal weaponry is a soldier's primary defensive and emergency tool. While serving as a lethal instrument to defeat the enemy, it can endanger forces if not operated and supervised under strict safety protocols. Commanders were reminded that they bear direct responsibility for enforcement, risk management, and personal example in the field.
The new guidelines categorize weapon-carrying states, distinguishing between unloaded weapons, weapons with inserted magazines, and loaded weapons with a round in the chamber. While unloaded weapons strictly require the standard safety insert, carrying a weapon with an inserted magazine allows operations without the device when mandated by operational needs and approved by commanders. Furthermore, the document stipulates that loaded weapons with a chambered round must be authorized strictly according to mission requirements and explicit risk assessments.
The terror attack at the Yehuda Junction, which took place on October 23, involved two armed terrorists from Hebron who opened fire at a temporary checkpoint established by soldiers from the Home Front Command's Ari Battalion near Route 35. The attack resulted in the deaths of Staff Sergeant Ron Jonathan Roytman, 23, from Ashkelon, and Sergeant Yuval Shay Soylem, 20, from Hod Hasharon, while three other soldiers sustained injuries. Dozens of combat soldiers and commanders have since reported similar incidents where the safety insert caused operational delays during critical moments.
