Dozens of soldiers sick to their stomachs at IDF base as reports detail filthy conditions

Dozens of cadets and staff at the Bisla air defense base in the Negev have reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea in recent days, according to Hebrew media reports.

Around 40 trainees and 10 staff members have required medical treatment, and the IDF has begun an investigation to determine the source of the outbreak.

Soldiers and parents have described alarming sanitary conditions at the base, including spoiled food, cockroach infestations, and a dead pigeon near the kitchen. Some troops reportedly fainted due to extreme heat and lack of air conditioning, while others were hospitalized.

“This is the lowest standard the IDF can serve,” one soldier tells Channel 12. “The food is full of flies and cockroaches. After a minute in the dining hall we’re already running to the bathroom. Everyone suffers from food poisoning, diarrhea, and vomiting. This happens all the time.”

The incident comes amid broader concerns about hygiene and infrastructure problems at IDF facilities. This week, video footage from another southern base showed poor hygienic conditions, crumbling infrastructure and spoiled food, while troops at a base in the Eilot region were left without electricity or water during a heatwave.

תמונות מחרידות: ימים ספורים לאחר הדיווחים על קריסות תשתית בבסיס סיירים בנגב – המראות חוזרים על עצמם. הפסקות חשמל ממושכות, תנאי היגיינה ירודים, אוכל מקולקל ותשתיות מתפוררות.

בסרטון : ג'וקים ופגר במטבח. pic.twitter.com/EcGMIoJN4O

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In response, the IDF says all affected soldiers received medical care and most training activities have been suspended pending comprehensive health checks, food and water testing, and an epidemiological investigation.