Child killings and nightmares behind Israeli soldiers’ refusal to return to Gaza war

Israeli media have disclosed that several soldiers from the Israeli army’s Nahal Brigade have refused new deployment orders to Gaza, citing extreme psychological distress caused by previous military operations in the region.

These soldiers reported a complete mental breakdown after over 13 consecutive months of war in Gaza. Some have publicly admitted to involvement in the killing of Palestinian civilians — including the direct shooting of children. In an audio recording released by Hebrew-language media, one soldier recounted:

“In what they called the ‘destruction zone,’ three individuals entered. We were ordered to shoot. Later, we found out they were two children — aged 12 and 13 — and their mother.”

He added that the incident caused a mental collapse among three of his comrades, who began suffering from insomnia, nightmares, and overwhelming guilt. He also emphasized that no psychological support was provided to them.

“We couldn’t even talk about what had happened to us,” he said. “In our unit, the social pressure didn’t allow anyone to speak about their struggles.”

Initially, the soldiers who refused to redeploy were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one week to 12 days, but recent reports indicate those sentences have been revoked, and the soldiers are now expected to meet with their unit commanders. Nonetheless, the Israeli military has declared it will deal harshly with refusal to obey orders during wartime.

The mother of one soldier told the media: “My son served in Gaza for more than 17 months and he’s completely exhausted. I’m not asking for him to be exempt — I’m just asking for treatment. These young men are not trying to run away; after two years of attrition, they need support, not jail.”

The Israeli army’s command has claimed that the soldiers were evaluated by a military psychologist and deemed fit to continue serving. However, reports suggest their mental health remains critically unstable.

The release of these testimonies — which also include confessions of firing on civilians and using Palestinians as human shields — has once again shed light on the war crimes committed by the Israeli military in Gaza. At the same time, it has exposed the internal crisis and psychological burden plaguing the regime's forces — a crisis that is undermining both Israel’s international legitimacy and the internal cohesion of its army.