Dozens of soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion left the Sde Teiman base without authorization on Thursday afternoon after commanders removed signs and symbols tied to a longstanding battalion tradition, prompting widespread coverage in Arab media that portrayed the incident as a rebellion within the IDF.
The soldiers were filmed leaving the base while chanting an obscene slogan against their officers. Some reportedly left their weapons behind before returning home. Videos and images from the scene quickly spread on X and were amplified by Lebanese, Syrian, Qatari and Iraqi outlets aligned with or sympathetic to the Iranian-led regional axis.
'They can suck it': dozens of soldiers walk out of base in protest against commanders
According to soldiers in the battalion, the removed symbols had accompanied them during fighting in Gaza and Lebanon and were passed down from one recruitment class to the next. They viewed the items as representing their connection to the battalion and its traditions. The dispute intensified after the battalion commander personally removed the symbols, an act documented in video footage.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said the walkout followed the commander’s decision to remove signs connected to irregular incidents involving the battalion’s “veteran-junior” tradition.
“A short time ago, soldiers from a combat battalion began leaving their base without their commanders’ authorization,” the military said. “The incident is being investigated and addressed by commanders. This conduct is inconsistent with IDF values and with what is expected of its soldiers.”
Arab media closely followed the reports from Sde Teiman. One Lebanese channel cited Israeli media under the headline: “Rebellion at the Sde Teiman base after a dispute with the battalion commander,” claiming that dozens of soldiers and commanders from the Tzabar Battalion had left their weapons and returned home.
Troops breaking the signs
Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, described the incident as a “rebellion in the enemy army” and reported that dozens of Givati soldiers had fled the base after disciplinary measures against them were tightened.
Syrian outlets circulated the videos with claims that the confrontation represented a dangerous development threatening the cohesion of the Israeli military. Al Jazeera published images of weapons reportedly left behind and quoted the IDF statement that soldiers had left the base without authorization.
The Iraqi Naya agency, which is associated with the Iranian-backed Shiite axis, described the event as a “collapse in the occupation army,” while Lebanon’s UNews claimed that more than 100 Givati soldiers had surrendered their weapons and rebelled against their commander. Those figures were not confirmed by the IDF.
The Tzabar Battalion is regarded as one of the Givati Brigade’s most prominent combat battalions. The military has not yet announced whether disciplinary action will be taken against the soldiers or commanders involved.