Israeli Soldiers Quietly Refusing Deployments Amid Heavy Psychological Strain

The ultra-Orthodox- oriented magazine interviewed several soldiers and parents, revealing a trend of quiet defiance. When a platoon of 30 Nahal Brigade soldiers was ordered back to Gaza, only six complied.

"I call it refusal and rebellion," said Inbal, the mother of a soldier from the platoon. "They return to the same buildings they cleared before, knowing it’s futile. They've been to the Zeyton neighborhood three times already."

Despite the low turnout, the platoon commander insisted they proceed. "Because they were so few, they couldn’t carry out missions. They just waited, making their presence even more pointless," Inbal added.

Israeli forces in Gaza not only engage Hamas fighters but also destroy residential buildings, shell hospitals, and dismantle critical infrastructure, contributing to the soldiers' psychological strain.

One parent of a Nahal soldier shared: "The wards are empty. Everyone not killed or injured is mentally broken. Very few have returned, and they are not the same." Her son, deployed previously in Lebanon, told her, "I’m not going back to the battalion. I don’t know who they expect to send to Lebanon."

Rather than organizing collective resistance, soldiers individually inform their commanders they cannot fight, leading to quiet reassignments within the unit. "It’s a covert process. There’s a constant quiet withdrawal from combat," a parent explained. Mothers refer to the practice as "silent refusal" or "gray refusal."

Returning to previously contested areas has taken a toll. "Revisiting places like Jabaliya, Zeyton, and Shajaya broke them," said Eidit, another parent. "They lost comrades there. The conditions, the never-ending fighting, the losses—it wears them down."

Yael, the mother of a commando brigade soldier, recounted her son’s frustration. "We feel like sitting ducks. We don’t know what we’re doing here. The abductees don’t come back, and soldiers just keep getting hurt."

In March, four soldiers from his unit were killed, and many more wounded. After a brief return home, the unit was converted into a reserve force and sent back to Gaza. One soldier requested to remain in the reserves but told his commander he could not continue fighting. "Two of his teammates refused, which gave him the courage. So far, none of them have faced imprisonment. It's all being kept quiet," Yael shared.

Commanders often attempt to shame reluctant soldiers into continuing, but no formal actions have been taken against them. Ha-Makom reported that "After 12 months of continuous war, the soldiers are ‘black,’" using military slang to describe deep depression and fatigue.

Ofer, the father of a sniper, reflected on his son's shift in motivation. "At first, he was determined, saying: 'Our job is to rescue the kidnapped and take revenge.' But now, he’s worn out."