Dozens of infantry soldiers left behind their weapons and abandoned the IDF’s Sde Teiman base in southern Israel on Thursday after their battalion commander destroyed decorative signs they had put up, the military said.

The mass walkout by troops from the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion was “being investigated and handled by the commanders,” the IDF said. “This is an incident that is inconsistent with the values of the IDF and with what is expected of its soldiers.”

Footage posted online showed the soldiers marching out of the base while chanting an obscenity against officers. Other footage from the base showed a disorganized mount of guns left behind by the soldiers, and the wreckage of the removed signs, including one with a hellish motif that read “Kingdom of Devils.”

The soldiers claimed the signs were “part of our company’s tradition.” According to the army, the signs contained materials meant to disparage rookie soldiers.

Infantry soldiers in the IDF have a history of hazing new recruits and of deserting en masse over alleged mistreatment by commanders.

The Givati soldiers’ commander gave them until 4 p.m. to return to Sde Teiman or face punishment. The names of soldiers who failed to show up would be forwarded to the Military Police for further handling, the officer said in a message to the troops.

“At exactly 16:00, there will be a check in the company to see who has remained/returned,” read the message. “Anyone who has not returned by 16:00 will be immediately classified as AWOL.”

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© The Times of Israel