IDF distributes neck protectors as safeguard against stabbing attacks

With no end in sight for the wave of daily Palestinian terror attacks, the IDF is introducing a new measure to ensure safety for its soldiers. 

By: JNS

Israeli soldiers who are stationed at checkpoints will receive neck protectors as a safeguard against terrorist stabbing attacks, the Times of Israel reported Tuesday.

The Israel Defense Forces announced that it will distribute 850 new neck guards that are designed specifically to protect soldiers serving in areas such as Hebron, the Gush Etzion Junction, Hawara and the Tapuach Junction, according to Lt. Col. Liron Segel, who commands the IDF Technological and Logistics Directorate’s Personal Protection and Equipment Department.

The IDF’s Central Command requested the new equipment from the directorate in November due to the threat of stabbings during the current Palestinian terror wave, said Segel, who explained that the neck guards will “strike a balance between the amount of area protected and [the] comfort of the soldier.”

The equipment is designed to fit underneath protective vests.

“On the one hand, we put an emphasis on materials that are very durable in order to protect against a penetrating wound, while on the other hand we worried about comfort,” said Segel. “We have managed to make a product that is flexible, thin, and even its weight on your neck is not comparatively that heavy.”