Ankara: Dozens of Israeli soldiers left the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel following a dispute with senior commanders, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. The soldiers involved are part of the Sabar Battalion of the Givati Brigade.

According to Anadolu Agency, the disagreement arose after the command staff decided to remove and destroy symbols displayed by the battalion's companies. Despite the soldiers' opposition, the battalion commander insisted on executing the decision. A soldier in the unit reported to Israeli news website Walla that a commander used a five-kilogram sledgehammer to destroy one of the symbols.

With no resolution reached, the soldiers chose to leave the unit and exited the base, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. The Sde Teiman base, located in Israel's Negev Desert, has faced allegations of abuse against Palestinians detained from the Gaza Strip. Both Palestinian and Israeli media, along with rights groups, have documented various abuses, including beatings, prolonged restraint, medical neglect, and deaths in custody, drawing parallels to the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

Palestinian rights groups report that over 9,600 Palestinians are currently imprisoned in Israeli facilities, including approximately 350 children and 84 women, amidst ongoing allegations of torture, medical neglect, and ill-treatment.

Source: Anadolu Agency