Israeli army says van with ultra-Orthodox deserters attacked

An Israeli military van transporting arrested ultra-Orthodox Jewish draft evaders was attacked overnight by protesters from the community, the army said.

Thousands of draft notices have been sent in recent months to ultra-Orthodox Jews, who have traditionally been largely exempt from military service.

The army faces mounting pressure as Israel continues its devastating war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the Palestinian militant group’s unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Calls within Israel to end the exemptions have intensified, with some reservists serving hundreds of days since the war began nearly two years ago.

“Several draft evaders were arrested today, tried in disciplinary proceedings and sent to military detention,” the military said in a statement late on Wednesday.

A military radio journalist, noting the deserters were ultra-Orthodox, posted images on X showing the van halted on a road by dozens of protesters from the community, some sitting in front of the vehicle.

“While en route to the prison… several demonstrators threw stones and sprayed tear gas at the vehicle,” the military said, adding one of the detainees escaped.

Discussions to amend the conscription law have intensified in recent months, putting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government under pressure.

Israeli media reported Thursday that the draft law was not expected to be debated until after Jewish holidays in mid-October.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up 14 percent of Israel’s Jewish population of about 1.3 million, and roughly 66,000 men of military age currently benefit from the exemption.