IDF disciplines soldiers for shooting during Megillah reading

Israeli military officials have taken disciplinary action against several soldiers who were filmed firing their weapons toward Gaza during a Purim holiday reading of the Book of Esther, the Israeli Defense Forces announced Sunday.

The incident, captured on video and widely circulated on social media over the weekend, showed soldiers firing non-operational shots toward the Gaza Strip when the name "Haman" was read from the religious text—following a tradition where noise is made upon hearing the villain's name during the Purim story.

According to the IDF statement, the platoon commander has been removed from his position, while the company commander received an official reprimand. Nine additional soldiers involved in the incident have been stripped of their combat roles and confined to base for 28 days.

Military officials called the behavior "a serious incident that contradicts IDF values" and emphasized that such actions are not acceptable from soldiers in an operational zone. The soldiers were immediately removed from their positions in Gaza when commanders became aware of the video.

The video, which showed the soldiers with their faces clearly visible, raised additional concerns about potential legal vulnerability for the participants in international forums.