IDF soldiers plead for relief, 'mentally unstable' after 17 Gaza deployments

In recent days, 11 infantry soldiers requested from their battalion commander not to enter Gaza, citing exhaustion from the ongoing combat since the beginning of the ground maneuver. The commander threatened the soldiers with 20 days in military prison for refusing a direct order.

The soldiers told their commanders, “We’ve been through 17 rounds of entry into Gaza, numerous operational incidents, months of intense fighting, and we’ve lost comrades. We're past our official discharge date and are serving under emergency reserve orders (Tzav 8). We’ve done everything we could – we’re mentally unable to go back into the Strip.”

Over the past year, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has allowed discharged combat soldiers serving in the reserves to take on roles outside Gaza. Commanders across infantry brigades have generally refrained from punishing soldiers after extended combat deployments, often agreeing to reassign them to administrative duties within their battalions upon request.

This is not the first time soldiers have asked not to return to Gaza. Back in August, around 20 soldiers from another infantry brigade requested to be excluded from combat operations in the Strip.

The soldiers told their commanders that after 10 months in Gaza, they could no longer go back, but were willing to take on alternative duties. “They treat us like new recruits. They tell us, ‘Either maneuver or prison,’” some of the soldiers told their parents. Roughly a quarter of their cohort – from the November 2021 draft – has already been discharged due to psychological, medical, or personal reasons. Similar reports of difficulties are coming in from other battalions maneuvering in Gaza.

The IDF Spokesperson stated at the time, “IDF commanders are making every effort to support and assist the soldiers in continuing their roles in the various operational missions. No disciplinary action involving imprisonment will be taken against the soldiers.”

In this specific case, it was ultimately decided not to send the soldiers to military prison.