(JNS) The IDF’s new Hasmonean Brigade made history on Sunday, June 8 by becoming the first Charedi unit to enter the Gaza Strip, according to Channel 12 reporter Amit Segal.

The unit joins the fight against Hamas amid a fierce debate over exempting Charedi yeshiva students from military service that is threatening Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.

The infantry brigade was established after the Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, ruled on June 24, 2024, that “there is no legal framework that allows for a distinction between yeshiva students and others designated for military service.”

Directly following the ruling, and as of March of this year, the government issued draft notices to more than 10,000 Charedim. Only a few hundred answered the call.