Ynet learns 17 veteran soldiers who took part in Gaza offensive left base near Beit El after being forced to guard posts instead of younger troops. IDF: They will be punished
Seventeen fighters from the Kfir Brigade's Haruv regiment escaped from their base near the West Bank settlement of Beit El on Tuesday night, following an argument with their commanders.
The fighters claimed that due to being "veteran" soldiers, they should not be forced to engage in guarding posts in the area. An Israel Defense Forces official said the army viewed the incident as extremely severe.
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The first signs of the "revolt" erupted on Tuesday morning, when the company was joined a new platoon, which recently completed its training course. Upon the new troops' arrival, their fellow company members who were enlisted about a year before them said they would no longer man the base's guarding posts as the entire mission should be handed over to the young soldiers.
The fighters' commanders made it clear to them that each platoon must man a guarding post and that there was no different between "young" and "veteran" soldiers. The soldiers were infuriated by the decision, claiming that "this is a blatant violation of our rights as veteran fighters."
In the early morning hours, 16 of them decided to leave the post, despite harming the army's routine security measures in the West Bank. They got on buses and headed to central Israel.
The commanders contacted them by phone and ordered them to return to their base immediately. They told the fighters that their decision to abandon the base was severe, and that the sooner they returned the more considerate the army would be when punishing them. Most of the soldiers began making their way back to the post.
A military source said the incident was not an organized revolt, but rather a reckless decision made by several soldiers, who influenced their comrades.
"We won't ignore this and we will punish the soldiers in accordance with the part they played in this incident," the source clarified. "The burden must be shared by all. This is an unacceptable act and it will be handled in the appropriate manner."
Military sources also noted that this was a high-quality company which even took part, for the first time in the brigade's history, in the Israeli offensive in Gaza
– and was highly praised for its activities.
"It's possible that there was a misunderstanding regarding their rights and obligations, which led to their decision to escape," one of the sources said.
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