It is among the largest mutinies in the history of the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces. Over one hundred soldiers abandoned the Sde Teiman base in the Negev desert, southern Israel, without authorization, leaving rifles and equipment inside. As multiple Israeli media reports, the soldiers belong to the Tzabar battalion of the Givati infantry brigade.
IDF confirmation: “The soldiers leave the base without authorisation”. What happened
The news was confirmed by the command of the Israeli Defense Forces. “Some soldiers began to leave the base without the authorization of the commanders”, communicates the IDF, specifying that the episode is currently being examined by the chain of command and is “incompatible with the values of the army and with what is expected of its soldiers”.
There is no official count of defectors yet. The IDF speaks generically of soldiers from the battalion, while various Israeli media report dozens of participants. Israel Hayomwhich is the first to publish a detailed reconstruction, estimates the total number of soldiers and commanders involved at over one hundred. The soldiers took their personal effects with them and left weapons and military equipment on the base. A photograph circulated on social media shows numerous rifles stacked on seats and on the floor.
The mutiny: videos of IDF soldiers leaving the base
The material circulated on X and relaunched by several Israeli newspapers includes two short films and two photographs. In the videos, a large group of uniformed soldiers can be seen moving near the base exit, without visible weapons. In one recording the soldiers sing an offensive chorus against the officers, while in the second video a soldier reminds his comrades of the possible disciplinary consequences, arguing that the risk of unjustified absence or military prison would not have stopped the protest.
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
What happened at the Sde Teiman base in the Negev: the reasons behind the dispute
The incident was triggered by the decision to remove some symbols linked to “battalion traditions between veterans and recruits”, we read in the media. Some “pogim” ended up in the crosshairs, plaques on which the mottos and symbols of the units are engraved, which the commander destroyed in front of his men. An affront to the soldiers who left the base, abandoning their weapons and chanting offensive slogans. An officer, quoted by Israel HaYom, praised the decision of his fellow soldiers, defying possible punishments: “The accusation of absenteeism, prison, I’m not interested.”
The battalion commander warned that anyone who does not return to base will be referred. In a letter to the parents of the mutinous soldiers, he explained his decision, urging them to convince their children to retrace their steps. “Those of you who are familiar with the ‘games between veterans and recruits’ from your military service understand the gravity of this incident and how many soldiers have been harmed by violence and humiliation,” he said.
“I have decided to destroy the wooden plaques depicting Satan, the Angel of Death and others,” he continued, stating that contrary to what has been circulating, “there is no connection between the plaques and the fallen of the battalion.” “Many of the fighters who decided to abandon their weapons, leave the base and desert did so under social pressure,” he added, urging them to return to the base in time for the roll call so as not to suffer consequences. A military source quoted by Yedioth Ahronoth he said most of the Tzabar battalion soldiers have returned to base, but the roll call has been postponed.