Givati Soldiers Jailed for Refusing Gaza Mission With Medic

Seventeen soldiers from the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade have been sentenced to military prison for refusing a direct order to enter a Namer armored personnel carrier with a medic during a mission in the Gaza Strip. According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the five soldiers who led the refusal will serve 10 days in military prison, while the other eleven soldiers will serve 5 days. The IDF stated that the operational activity was canceled due to the soldiers' refusal. The soldiers serve in the IDF as part of Hesder Yeshivas, programs combining religious studies with military service. The military emphasized the mission's urgency, noting it was expected to conclude within two hours and did not involve a prolonged stay in the Namer. The IDF also reported that the Givati Brigade's rabbi had permitted the soldiers to carry out the mission, but they sought opinions from rabbis outside the military. A military source indicated that the company commander engaged with the soldiers, explaining the mission's importance, but they persisted in their refusal. This incident follows other disciplinary actions within the Givati Brigade, including four soldiers previously sentenced to imprisonment and removal from combat roles, and a separate threat from 12 Hesder Yeshiva heads not to send soldiers to the Armored Corps.