Dozens of West Bank Residents Barred at the Last Minute from Enlistment

About 120 residents of Judea and Samaria completed the enlistment process for Second Stage basic training, but dozens were told days before reporting that their service was not approved. The group, aged 28 to 40 and older, had been preparing for service in local standby units and the Home Front Command, and said they had already passed medical checks and arranged work and family commitments.

According to the enlistees, around 40 received the notice at about 1:00 a.m. between Wednesday and Thursday, with no explanation and no chance to appeal before the reporting date. Another 10 were called in for an interview at Tel Hashomer, and some were ultimately not allowed to enlist. One participant said, "עושים מאיתנו צחוק. מדובר באנשים שחשוב שיהיה להם ידע בסיסי בלחימה כי אנחנו יום יום בהתמודדות מול הערבים ומישהו דאג למנוע מאיתנו את האפשרות הקיומית הזאת".

The IDF said the batch was part of the tenth enlistment cycle for the Second Stage track, mostly for חרדי men exempt from regular service, and that all enlistees must undergo registration, screening and security suitability checks. It added that candidates with disqualifying indicators were not yet approved, that the process is still ongoing, and that they may join future rounds if they meet the required conditions and there is an operational need.