Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 30, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 30, 2026
‘Large number’ of soldiers who abandoned base have returned, IDF official says
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Troops of the Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion abandoned their base in southern Israel, July 30, 2026. (Social media, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
A senior military official says a “large number” of the soldiers of the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion who abandoned their base earlier have returned.
“A large number of the soldiers have already returned, and many of them are back at the base,” the official says.
They add that the unit will hold a roll call soon, “during which we will be able to get a complete picture of the situation and determine the exact numbers.”
The army had set a 4 p.m. deadline for the soldiers to return after they deserted en masse following an argument with their commander.
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