Israeli soldiers leave base in protest over removal of memorial display
Shafaq News- Middle East
Dozens of Israeli soldiers left the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel on Thursday after protesting orders from their battalion commander to remove signs and memorial displays related to battles in which they had fought.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, dozens of soldiers from the Tzabar Battalion of the Givati Brigade left the base while chanting, "To hell with all the officers."
In a statement, the Israeli military said, "A short while ago, soldiers from a combat battalion began leaving their base without authorization following the battalion commander's decision to remove signs," adding that the incident is under investigation, and commanders are handling the matter.
Israel's public broadcaster (KAN) said the soldiers had recently returned from Lebanon, describing the incident as a "mutiny."
Maariv newspaper cited a military source as saying the dispute stemmed from attempts by veteran soldiers to impose informal traditions and practices within the Tzabar Battalion, leading to an internal conflict that ended with dozens of soldiers and commanders leaving the base.
“The incident is highly unusual within the Israeli military,” he stated, stressing that it had immediate operational consequences, as the battalion was no longer considered ready for the combat missions it had been preparing to carry out in the Gaza Strip.
Sde Teiman has been used by the Israeli military as a detention facility since the outbreak of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023. The facility has drawn sustained international criticism from human rights organizations and media outlets. Rights groups and international reports have accused Israeli authorities of holding Palestinian detainees in harsh conditions and committing systematic abuses. Multiple reports and testimonies have also documented allegations of torture, ill-treatment, physical and sexual abuse, as well as deaths of detainees at the facility, prompting repeated calls for independent investigations and accountability.
