Two female Israeli soldiers had to be rescued by police after being chased by a crowd of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men,
BBC reports.
Footage from the city of Bnei Brak showed the women running through streets strewn with rubbish and overturned bins as police officers formed a protective barrier. More than 20 people were arrested.
Reports suggest the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were wrongly believed to be trying to deliver army conscription orders. Military service is mandatory for most Jewish Israelis, but ultra‑Orthodox Jews have long been exempt. Moves to reform this have caused outrage among the community.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident as "unacceptable".
"This is an extreme minority that does not represent the entire Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] community," Netanyahu said in a post on X.
"We will not allow anarchy, and we will not tolerate any harm to IDF servicemen and security forces who carry out their duties with dedication and determination."
Jewish religious leaders also condemned the actions of those involved in the unrest.
Riot police in Bnei Brak, on the edge of Tel Aviv, used stun grenades against the crowd and arrested 23 people, police said in a statement.
Three officers were injured and several police vehicles damaged, including a patrol car that was overturned and a police motorcycle that was set on fire, police added.
The IDF servicewomen had been on an official home visit to another soldier when the confrontation broke out, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported.
