A commander employed a five-kilogram sledgehammer to demolish one of the emblems, a unit soldier informed Walla.

An Israeli police officer stands near a gate, while protesters gather outside Sde Teiman detention facility near Beersheba, in southern Israel, July 29, 2024

(photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

ByAMIR BOHBOT

JULY 30, 2026 13:20

Updated: JULY 30, 2026 17:52

Hundreds of soldiers from the Givati Brigade Tzabar Battalion exited the Sde Teiman military base after clashing with top officers, Walla reported on Thursday.

Brigade members stated that senior leaders chose to eliminate and clear unit badges shown across the battalion companies, even though the battalion head pushed for removal despite resistance from troops.

With no resolution reached between the groups, the soldiers abandoned their positions and left the facility.

One of the leaders used a five-kilogram hammer to break one of the badges, a person in the unit told Walla.

Video from the scene captured troops yelling insults at officers and command staff while departing the base.

Once the soldiers had gone, battalion leaders reached out via a WhatsApp group that also included parents. They noted that anyone back by 4 p.m. would avoid harsh discipline.

The leaders warned that any soldier failing to return today would receive stricter penalties.

Soldiers head back under threat of discipline

The battalion head also messaged the troops that he would agree to contain those who had exited earlier.

Givati soldiers informed parents that clips of leaders smashing the badges with a hammer sparked the defiance.

What drove the soldiers past the limit were the clips. Watching their badges smashed by hammer. It felt degrading. Harm to all they endured in recent years. Without grasp, yet this causes real damage.

The soldiers noted further, The leaders sent notes to all troops that at 4 p.m., each company would conduct a roll call to check returns, and those absent would face tough sanctions. Right now only a few have come back.

Givati Brigade commander Col. Netanel Shimcha came to the unit base when just a tiny number of soldiers had returned, while others sought talks with their leaders.

Officials in the 162nd Division judged that the soldiers who left the base would meet tough sanctions.

Some face disciplinary steps before the battalion head, while those seen as leading the event and caught on video are set for trial by the brigade commander.

Givati Brigade just back from extended action in southern Lebanon

The Givati Brigade finished a long and tough stretch of action in southern Lebanon, with key operational wins such as taking Beaufort Ridge, Bint Jbeil, and other sites. Sources noted some soldiers have grown more emotional and quick to flare-ups since.

The troops prepare to shift back to the Yellow Line in Gaza.

The brigade troops were picked for some of the hardest tasks and earned praise from IDF General Staff. The IDF Operations Directorate then chose to rotate the units, sending some for training and others to duties in new zones.

Per the military, the brigade top command has worked to fix discipline matters and counter negative habits, traditions, and customs.

The IDF Spokesperson noted the event is under review and managed by the battalion leaders.