Israeli defense officials are under fire for calling up dozens of female reservists to guard captured Hamas Nukhba terrorists - a move that's sparking outrage after similar orders were scrapped just months ago.
"I broke down crying at the interview," one reservist told Israel Hayom. "They totally blindsided us. We showed up thinking it was a regular placement meeting, then got told we'd be guarding terrorists. When I said I was scared and didn't want to do it, they threatened to mark me as a deserter."
The controversy erupted after women started getting mysterious call-up notices, only discovering upon arrival they were being tapped to guard detained terrorists from the October 7 attacks across three facilities. Many of these reservists - who include combat trainers, medics, and intelligence specialists - say they were strong-armed into accepting the assignment.
Knesset members Sharon Nir and Merav Ben-Ari aren't having it. They've demanded Defense Minister Yisrael Katz shut down the program immediately, arguing these sensitive security posts should be handled by professional prison staff, not untrained reservists.
"We thought this mess was sorted out last June," Ben-Ari said. "Now they're trying to pull the same stunt again, pushing women into dangerous situations they're not trained for."
The lawmakers pointed to a 2022 watchdog report highlighting serious risks - including sexual harassment - faced by female personnel in similar roles. They're pushing for the prison service to take full responsibility for guarding the terrorists.
The military defended the move, saying they're dealing with overflow issues in the prison system since the war started. A spokesperson said they're "carefully screening" candidates and promised special training for those selected.
But for many of the women caught in the middle, it's cold comfort. While they wait to hear their fate, they're stuck between refusing a potentially dangerous assignment and being labeled deserters during wartime.
The issue has now landed on the desk of the parliament's defense committee, with lawmakers blasting what they call the military's "secretive handling" of the whole situation.
Israel Hayom contributed to this article.
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