IDF Soldiers Jailed for Refusing Gaza Mission Due to Female Medic

Sixteen soldiers from the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade have been sentenced to military prison for refusing an operational mission in the Gaza Strip. The soldiers refused to board an armored personnel carrier for a patrol mission because a female combat medic was present.

The incident occurred last Wednesday in Gaza. The soldiers were ordered to conduct a patrol using an Namer APC, but refused to proceed when they learned a female medic was part of the unit. As a result, the mission was canceled.

Following an inquiry, five of the soldiers involved were sentenced to 10 days of detention, while the remaining eleven received a 5-day sentence. The IDF stated that according to the joint service order, soldiers with a religious lifestyle are entitled to perform operational activities within a gender-segregated framework, except in exceptional circumstances. The IDF confirmed the soldiers refused the mission and it was subsequently canceled.

The Hesder Yeshivot Association, an organization that supports religious Zionist soldiers, issued a statement on Wednesday supporting the soldiers' actions. They argued the soldiers acted in accordance with the joint service order and that the IDF should uphold this order, allowing religiously observant soldiers to serve according to their beliefs without punishment. The association also claimed there has been a recent decline in commanders adhering to orders that permit religiously observant soldiers to serve according to their faith, infringing upon their rights and lifestyle.