The Israeli army has wrapped up its investigation and disciplinary actions following the incident at the "Sde Teman" base, where dozens of soldiers from the "Sabar" battalion of the Givati Brigade deserted the base in what Israeli media described as a "mutiny."
According to the "Maariv" newspaper, 18 soldiers were sentenced to prison, with 17 receiving 30-day sentences and one soldier receiving a 20-day sentence. All have been relieved from combat duty and reassigned to other tasks.
Meanwhile, the battalion commander faced no punishment despite criticism of his handling of the crisis, as he received backing from Brigade 162 Commander, Brigadier General Sagiv Dahan.
Additionally, about 80 other soldiers, who had left and returned to the base, will undergo a rehabilitation and educational program aimed at reinforcing military discipline and instilling values within the unit.
The crisis began after the battalion returned from combat missions in Lebanon, when the battalion commander ordered an equipment inspection. During the inspection, banners and posters deemed inconsistent with army values were found and ordered destroyed, with the commander personally destroying them with a hammer, as per the military's account.
This act angered several soldiers who regarded the banners as part of the company's heritage and a symbol of their unity, arguing that they accompanied them during operations in Gaza and Lebanon, and that their destruction was an insult to their dignity, which led over 100 soldiers to leave the base en masse, though most later returned.
The Israeli army affirmed its commitment to combating any practices involving mistreatment of new soldiers but noted that the investigation also reviewed the performance and crisis management of the commanders, amid questions raised by the incident about discipline and morale levels within combat units returning from the Gaza and Lebanon fronts.