Workers in the kitchen of the Israeli Navy training base in Haifa are raising serious claims regarding sanitary conditions at the facility.
According to testimonies published by Mako, kitchen staff are dealing with a daily reality of rats roaming around cooking areas, refrigeration rooms, and food storage facilities. The situation is reportedly taking place at a base where meals are served daily to about 1,200 male and female soldiers.
One kitchen worker said the sanitary problems have been ongoing for many months. According to him, repeated complaints to the responsible officials at the base failed to result in adequate treatment of the issue.
“The situation here is catastrophic. This is a kitchen unfit for cooking. There are days when we catch 10, 12, and even 13 rats a day. They come in through holes in the walls, through the air-conditioning ducts, through the old plumbing. Everything here is rotten and broken," the worker claimed.
The employee also described an unusual incident that allegedly occurred while preparing lunch for soldiers at the base.
“We took a pot out of the refrigeration room to start heating it. I came to stir it with a large spoon, and suddenly I lifted the spoon and saw a rat inside the pot. It was one of the most horrifying things I’ve ever seen," the worker recalled, adding that only by chance had he not tasted the food moments earlier to check the seasoning.
According to kitchen staff, rats were also seen near meal trays intended for soldiers eating outside the dining hall, gnawing on the container lids.
The worker expressed concern that some food distributed to soldiers may have come into contact with rats without the kitchen staff noticing in real time. He said employees bought their own adhesive traps and rat traps because the solutions provided by the base - including exterminator visits - were ineffective due to the outdated structure and decaying infrastructure.
The Israel Defense Forces responded to the allegations, saying: “Contrary to the claims, the images presented are not recent. The last incident in which rats were seen in the kitchen area occurred several months ago and was handled immediately. Routine inspections are conducted at the base by military health authorities, alongside regular extermination and prevention efforts aimed at maintaining the cleanliness of the base and the health of the soldiers."
The IDF added that as part of its 2026 work plan, renovations have already begun at the Haifa Navy base kitchen in order to improve conditions for soldiers. During the renovation period, soldiers are receiving adjusted dining arrangements.