Ten Nachal soldiers were convicted of incitement and rebellion Sunday morning for refusing orders by a commander they said endangered them with illogical and illegal orders. The were sentenced to between 20 and 45 days in the brig. According to a letter they sent to higher-ups, the commander ordered them to hitchhike home for their weekends off – when they were stationed next to Gaza. They were also ordered to fire mortar shells, even though they were not trained to do so. In addition, the commander threatened to court-martial them for even the slightest infractions. As a result, the letter said, the soldiers no longer trusted the commander, and would no longer follow his commands.
An IDF spokesperson said that the army treats refusing orders of any type very seriously, and that the soldiers would be punished for doing so; however, their allegations against the commander would be investigated, the spokesperson said.