IDF Soldiers Punished for Refusing Patrol With Female Medic

Sixteen soldiers from the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade's reconnaissance company were sentenced to military prison for refusing a direct order to participate in an operational patrol in the Gaza Strip. The patrol was canceled after the soldiers refused to join because a female paramedic was assigned to the mission and would be riding in an armored personnel carrier with them. The battalion commander imposed punishments based on the soldiers' involvement: five soldiers who led the refusal received 10 days in military prison, and two of them will face a review board before returning to combat duty. An additional 11 soldiers were sentenced to five days in prison.

The IDF stated that the Givati Brigade's rabbi had permitted the soldiers to carry out the mission, but the soldiers had consulted with rabbis outside the military. A military source reported that the company commander spoke with the soldiers, explaining the mission's importance, but they still refused to comply.