Israeli soldiers jailed for disobeying orders

Israeli soldiers from the Golani Brigade take part in a military training exercise in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the border with Syria on 19 January, 2015 [JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images]

A number of Israeli soldiers from the elite Golani Brigade deployed around the Gaza Strip have been jailed for disobeying orders, Israeli media reported on Tuesday. The Jerusalem Post said that the soldiers were detained and sentenced to 20 days in prison for refusing to follow orders during the preparations for a potential ground offensive on the besieged territory.

The Golani Brigade was ordered to deploy around Gaza but, said Israeli news website Ynet, the soldiers refused after their commanders confiscated personal items, including flags and personalised gun straps.

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However, Quds Press reported that the soldiers’ families denied that they were sent to prison for this reason and that only a few have been imprisoned. According to Ynet, many soldiers were removed from the field after questioning how much longer they had to remain on standby.

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