Soldiers stage mass desertion at IDF base in south after row with their commander

Dozens of soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion abandoned their base in southern Israel a short while ago amid a row with their commander, the military says.

The IDF says the troops deserted the Sde Teiman base, leaving behind their weapons, without the approval of their superiors after the battalion commander decided to take down and destroy signs that had been put up by the soldiers.

The decorative signs had contained materials that supposedly humiliated rookie soldiers in the unit, according to the army.

Soldiers claim the signs were “part of our company’s tradition.”

“The incident is being investigated and handled by the commanders. This is an incident that is inconsistent with the values of the IDF and with what is expected of its soldiers,” the military says.

Infantry soldiers in the IDF have a history of mass desertion over alleged unfair treatment in the military.

יותר מ-100 לוחמי גבעתי עזבו את בסיס שדה תימן – ללא נשקם

לוחמים ומפקדים מגדוד "צבר" יצאו לנפקדות מהבסיס לאחר עימות עם מפקד הגדוד, ששבר את לוחות המורשת של הפלוגות. "נפקדות, כלא – זה לא מעניין", אמר אחד החיילים pic.twitter.com/v5WY11KGaf

— אוראל סמדר (@orelsmadar) July 30, 2026