Female Soldiers Report Being Filmed in Barracks Bathrooms, IDF Launches Investigation

Female soldiers serving in rear-echelon roles within the Golani Brigade's 51st Battalion have reported multiple instances of being filmed while using the base's restrooms. According to their accounts, on two separate occasions, they observed a hand holding a phone and filming them from above through the bathroom window. In one incident, a soldier attempted to pursue the suspect, but they escaped.

The soldiers claim that despite reporting the incidents to their commanders after the first occurrence, the response was inadequate, leaving them feeling insecure at the base. Following these reports, the IDF announced on Thursday that Military Police have opened an investigation into the matter. The findings will be forwarded to the Military Advocate General's Corps for review. The IDF stated that it views any sexual harassment with extreme severity.

One of the soldiers who filed a complaint told N12 that the incidents began about a month prior when they moved to a new base. She described how, on the first night, a soldier heard a noise above her while in a bathroom stall and saw a hand with a phone filming her through the window. Despite reporting this to commanders, she stated that no action was taken. Approximately ten days later, after attempting to block the window with a trash bag and tape, the soldiers again saw the same hand and phone filming them from above the toilet.

Following the second incident, all soldiers at the base were reportedly gathered, and officials apologized. However, the soldier expressed that within a day or two, things returned to normal, and no significant action was taken. "We are afraid to walk around the base," she stated, adding that they felt compelled to go to the media to ensure the incident was properly investigated and addressed, emphasizing that soldiers should not be filmed in bathrooms without serious consequences.