IDF female soldiers were hidden before Netanyahu’s visit to South Lebanon: a story that looks quite ugly

On the evening of July 1, 2026, the Israeli channel KAN reported an incident that occurred at a military location in southern Lebanon before the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

It concerns female soldiers from an artillery battery. According to the mother of one of the soldiers, all day long, the fighters and female soldiers were tidying up the facility: preparing the building for the meeting, reinforcing it in case of a possible attack, and decorating it before the arrival of the high-ranking officials.

It was there that Netanyahu and Katz were supposed to meet with the soldiers of the ‘Hashmonaim’ brigade. According to Israeli media reports, the visit of the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister to the ‘security zone’ in southern Lebanon took place on June 30, 2026, and the details of the trip were published only after their return to Israel.

Why the girls were sent downstairs

According to the version aired on KAN, the problem arose because the Prime Minister wanted to meet specifically with religious soldiers. As a result, there was no place for the girls from the artillery unit in the room where the meeting was to take place.

The ‘Hashmonaim’ fighters reportedly requested that the artillery women not be allowed where they might encounter them. After the female soldiers completed all the preparatory work, they were told to go down to the lower floor and not to come up until the Prime Minister had left.

The mother of one of the soldiers said that the girls sat downstairs for about four hours. They were not allowed to come upstairs so that the ‘Hashmonaim’ soldiers would not accidentally meet them. Meanwhile, the command, according to her, explained this decision as ‘out of respect for them.’

This doesn’t just look awkward. It looks quite unattractive because it’s not about event guests or random people, but about IDF soldiers who are in a dangerous zone, performing army tasks, and serving just like their male counterparts.

Why this story is important for Israel

For Israeli society, such a story is painful not only because of the episode itself. It touches on a broader topic — the attitude towards women in the army, especially in combat and frontline conditions.

Female soldiers have long been part of Israel’s security system. They serve, take risks, work in positions, participate in supporting combat units, and take responsibility where discipline and professionalism determine people’s lives.

That’s why the story from southern Lebanon caused such a sharp reaction. The central issue is not the protocol of the visit or the political photograph, but respect for those who serve the state. For the Israeli audience, this is a particularly sensitive topic because the army remains one of the main public institutions in the country, and the attitude towards soldiers and female soldiers is always perceived as a matter of national responsibility.

In this context, NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency draws attention not only to the incident itself but also to its symbolism: when female soldiers are first used to prepare the facility and then asked to disappear from view, it is no longer a technical detail but a public signal.

Reaction of Yair Golan and the overall background

The leader of the ‘Democrats’ bloc, Yair Golan, quickly reacted to the KAN story. He stated that every Jewish mother should know: the Prime Minister, according to him, is ready to ‘hide’ her soldier daughter for a photo with Haredi soldiers.

Golan called this a disregard for those who serve and risk their lives daily. He emphasized that female fighters are an integral part of the security of the State of Israel, and they should be proud of them, not hide them before a political visit.

The incident in southern Lebanon occurred against the backdrop of a broader discussion. Just a few days before, 257 female reservists signed a letter to the Chief of Staff, the Defense Minister, and the Director General of the Ministry of Defense. In the letter, they called for an end to the anti-feminist wave against female soldiers and women in the army.

What should be the main focus here

One can argue about politics, religious sensitivity, the composition of a particular meeting, and how visits of top officials to combat zones are prepared. But there is a line beyond which explanations start to sound worse than the decision itself.

If a female soldier serves in southern Lebanon, follows orders, prepares the facility for a visit, and is in the same danger as other soldiers, she cannot be turned into an ‘inconvenient presence.’ A state that sends women to serve is obliged not to hide them but to openly respect their contribution.

That’s why this story turned out to be so unpleasant. It’s not just about four hours on the lower floor. It’s about how women in uniform are seen in Israel — as full-fledged soldiers or as a problem that is better removed from the frame before the Prime Minister’s arrival.