IDF suspends entire Netzah Yehuda battalion following incident with CNN journalists in Judea & Samaria

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered the removal of the entire Netzah Yehuda battalion  from Judea and Samaria following an incident last week in which soldiers from the battalion detained CNN journalists and expressed support for revenge attacks on Arabs. 

Lt. Gen. Zamir called the interaction “a serious ethical incident” in his statement announcing the suspension of the battalion. 

“This is a serious ethical incident that is not in line with the norms and values ​​of the IDF,” Zamir stated. “We all swore the soldier's oath upon our enlistment – weapons will be used solely for the purpose of carrying out a mission. We will not accept such incidents in the ranks of the IDF.” 

"It is precisely in the midst of this just and historic war that we have a duty to maintain the IDF's statehood and its values. The battalion is important to us, and we will invest heavily in strengthening it. We appreciate the reserve personnel who work with dedication, but there is no place in the IDF for unethical norms. The responsibility for maintaining military values ​​and discipline lies first and foremost with the commanders, and we will not compromise on this.” 

⭕ The Chief of the General Staff concluded the inquiry into the conduct of IDF soldiers toward journalists while securing the area during the evacuation of an illegal outpost in Area A of Judea and Samaria.

The inquiry found several failures in the conduct of the soldiers…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 30, 2026

The swift response by the IDF chief to the incident appears to reflect a growing awareness of how incidents of settler violence, and the Israeli government’s failure to curb them, are affecting Israel’s image in the global community. 

The Menashe Regional Brigade’s 941st “Netzah Yehuda” Battalion has been involved in previous problematic incidents in the past couple years, which reportedly influenced Zamir’s decision to suspend the entire battalion. During the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, there were moves to sanction the battalion over its behavior. 

The unit is a reserve unit made up mostly of former soldiers of the Kfir Brigade’s ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion, and was due to end its activities in Judea and Samaria at the end of April. It has been heralded as a model of how ultra-Orthodox soldiers can be incorporated into the IDF, and the unit has a high response rate to reserve call-ups. The unit has also recorded several successful missions in Gaza during the Oct. 7 Gaza War. 

In video shared by CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond to 𝕏, the soldiers involved in the incident can be heard defending the establishment of a nearby illegal Israeli settlement, while also admitting to supporting revenge acts against Palestinians in the territories. 

Zamir also responded directly to the statements made by one of the soldiers, who attempted to justify acts of revenge, saying, “Weapons are to be used solely for the purpose of carrying out the mission, and never for revenge. We will not accept such incidents within the ranks of the IDF.” 

In the video, Diamond claims that one of the cameramen in his crew was put into a chokehold, and brought to the ground, which appears to happen just off camera. 

The military said it is investigating allegations of violence against the journalists. 

“The allegation regarding violence used by one of the soldiers will be further examined by the relevant authorities, and further action will be determined in accordance with the findings,” the IDF said in a statement about the incident. 

IDF International Spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the soldiers’ conduct and statements "do not represent the IDF,” and would be investigated. 

The soldiers' conduct and statements in this incident do not represent the IDF, go against what is expected of IDF soldiers and will be investigated.

In real time, after receiving the report of the incident, we acted to resolve the issue ASAP.
I apologized privately, and I…

— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) March 28, 2026

Additionally, it was reported that two specific soldiers allegedly involved in acts of violence during the incident would receive disciplinary punishment over their actions. 

However, while the battalion is being suspended, the military said it had not decided to close the battalion, which was a possible disciplinary outcome after several ethical incidents. 

“The battalion will remain in reserve service and undergo a process to reinforce its professional and normative foundations,” the IDF said.