From the Liveblog of
Thursday, August 14, 2025
IDF troops sent home early due to heat will be given an extra day before return to Negev base
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Soldiers evacuated from the Sayarim training base in the southern Negev Desert this morning following power outages amid a searing heatwave will only return to base on Monday instead of Sunday, the military says.
The troops were let off early to their weekend furlough because of the blackouts, which left the trainees in 48°C (118°F) without air conditioning for hours. Normally, the soldiers would be sent home on Friday.
The military says that the troops who have remained on base to guard it over the weekend are in air-conditioned rooms — where the power issues have been fixed — and that there has been an increased supply of food, cold water and trucks full of ice to the facility.
Temperatures exceeded 40°C (104°F) in locations throughout the country today.
The Times of Israel Community.