An incident in the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade, currently operating in Gaza, has sparked controversy after three soldiers refused to board an armored personnel carrier because a female paramedic was inside. The soldiers said they were acting according to instructions they had received from their religious authorities.
Following the incident, the entire platoon, composed of yeshiva students, was placed under confinement for 21 days. The IDF also considered removing the three soldiers who refused from combat roles, according to reports.
Channel 7 reported that Rabbi Tzvi Kostiner, head of the Mitzpe Ramon yeshiva, and Rabbi Shlomo Shoshan, head of the Beit Shean yeshiva, both of which have students serving in the platoon, had instructed their students not to enter combat vehicles when a female paramedic is present.
According to sources familiar with the incident, after the three soldiers announced they would not board the vehicle, the remaining members of the platoon were asked if any of them would be willing to enter alongside the female paramedic. The soldiers claim that no one in the platoon agreed to do so.
Commanders responded by imposing a 21-day confinement on the entire platoon.
The incident occurred while the battalion was engaged in operational activity in Gaza, bringing renewed attention to tensions surrounding the service of religiously observant soldiers in the IDF and the challenges of managing issues related to mixed-gender service during active combat.
The case raises questions about how to balance the religious lifestyle and halachic guidance that yeshiva students receive with the requirements of military service and operational realities in the field.
The IDF has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
