Lt. Col. Yossi Levi, the IDF\u2019s first ultra-Orthodox battalion commander, recently shared a moving and unexpected story on his social media\u2014a powerful account of healing and connection between Gaza border residents and the Netzah Yehuda Battalion.<\/p>\n
In the wake of the October 7 massacre, trust in the IDF among residents of the Gaza Envelope was badly shaken. Anger surged through the kibbutzim, and many declared: no IDF soldier would be allowed to set foot in their communities. At this low point, the army made a bold choice\u2014to send the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion into the heart of the region. What began with fierce opposition ended in a statement few could have imagined.<\/p>\n
Trust Was Broken Watch: Netzah Yehuda soldiers operating in northern Gaza<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The battalion was first stationed along the northern Gaza border, before taking part in deep combat inside the Strip, including missions in Beit Hanoun and northern Gaza. When one kibbutz\u2019s chief security officer (Ravshatz) learned that the ultra-Orthodox battalion was being deployed nearby, he didn\u2019t hold back. \u201cIt won\u2019t happen,\u201d he told a former officer he had served with. But despite the resistance, the soldiers arrived.<\/p>\n