Israeli military court sentences 2 soldiers for refusing to rejoin Gaza war

JERUSALEM /ISTANBUL

An Israeli military court on Thursday sentenced two soldiers from the Nahal Brigade to prison for refusing to take part in the war on Gaza.

According to Israel's public broadcaster KAN: "Despite the Israeli army's commitment not to imprison soldiers, two Nahal Brigade soldiers who fought in Gaza over the past year and a half were prosecuted for refusing to return to the Strip due to exhaustion."

It added: "The two soldiers were sentenced to 15 and 20 days in prison after refusing to enter Gaza."

The broadcaster continued: "The soldiers, who were enlisted in August 2022, complained to their battalion commander that after a year and a half of operations, they were experiencing severe fatigue."

The broadcaster also stated: "Earlier this month, we reported on a request submitted by 11 infantry soldiers to their battalion commander, asking not to be sent into Gaza due to exhaustion."

In response, added the broadcaster, the commander threatened the soldiers with 20 days in prison for refusing to carry out orders.

This is not the first case of Israeli soldiers refusing to enter Gaza.

In early May, the Israeli army began issuing tens of thousands of reserve call-up orders in preparation for expanding its genocide in Gaza, according to Israeli media, including Yedioth Ahronoth.

That same month, a research team from Tel Aviv University revealed that about 12% of Israeli reserve soldiers who took part in the Gaza war are suffering from severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), rendering them unfit for return to military service, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​​

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.