Seven soldiers indicted for severe abuse of fellow soldiers in 'veteran games'

Seven soldiers from an IDF combat engineering unit have been indicted for severe abuse of younger soldiers as part of "veteran games" in their company. The indictments describe physical and mental violence, humiliation, systematic punishment, and causing health and mental damage over a period. The soldiers were subjected to unofficial "company rules," and violating them led to violent punishment, including beatings, whippings, use of pepper spray and a stun gun.

Seven soldiers from an IDF combat engineering unit have been indicted for severe abuse of younger soldiers, as reported today (Wednesday) on the program "Benjamini and Mualem" on Kan News. The seven have been in detention for over a month and a half, and the indictments include a series of offenses of abuse under aggravating circumstances. The indictments reveal a picture of physical and mental violence, humiliation, systematic punishment, and causing health and mental damage, as part of "veteran games" in the company. This was a regular pattern of behavior, not isolated incidents. The young soldiers were subjected to unofficial "company rules" written on a page, and they were forbidden to say "I'm tired," "I'm broken," or "how much longer." They were told that "a young soldier doesn't ask questions" and that "the word of a veteran is stronger than the word of an officer." Violating the rules led to violent punishment: soldiers were beaten with fists and whipped with weapon barrels, causing bruises and contusions, and they avoided medical treatment for fear of further violence. There were cases of being locked in a room and whipped, beaten with a tourniquet stick, kicks called "Hitlers," use of pepper spray, a stun gun, and humiliation in showers with bleach and cleaning agents. Additionally, soldiers were sent to sleep in containers without basic conditions. In one incident, they fired at soldiers with an air rifle, ten pellets to the back and stomach. The picture that emerges is of a prolonged pattern of abuse, where violence and humiliation became routine in the company.