Givati Soldiers Jailed After Refusing to Ride With Female Medic

Three IDF soldiers serving in the Givati Brigade's Rotem Battalion were sentenced to 10 days in military prison Sunday after refusing to board a Namer armored personnel carrier alongside a female medic, Israeli reports say. The soldiers, part of the military's Hesder program that combines yeshiva study with army service, made the refusal as their unit prepared for an operational mission in Gaza. The incident has reignited debate in Israel over religious accommodations for observant soldiers, a long-running tension between the IDF's push for gender integration and the demands of religious troops. It remains unclear whether the men will appeal the ruling or whether the case will prompt policy changes regarding mixed-gender deployments in combat units.