The Israeli military (IDF) has said it will fire air force reservists who signed a letter condemning the war in Gaza, stating that the letter only served political interests and does not help bring the hostages held by Hamas in the Strip home.
There was no room for any individual, including reservists on active duty, “to exploit their military status while simultaneously participating in the fighting,” an army official said in a statement, calling it a breach of trust between commanders and subordinates.
The IDF said it decided that any active reservist who signed the letter would not be able to continue serving.
It did not specify how many people were included or if the dismissals had already begun.
Nearly 1,000 Israeli air force reservists and retirees signed a letter, published in domestic media on Thursday, demanding the immediate return of the hostages, even at the cost of ending the fighting.
While the soldiers who signed the letter didn’t refuse to keep serving, it’s part of a growing wave of Israeli service personnel speaking out against the 18-month conflict, with some saying they saw or did things that crossed ethical lines.
“It’s completely illogical and irresponsible on behalf of the Israeli policy makers … risking the lives of the hostages, risking the lives of more soldiers and risking lives of many, many more innocent Palestinians, while it had a very clear alternative,” retired Israeli Air Force pilot who spearheaded the letter Guy Poran said.
Poran added that he was unaware whether anyone who signed the letter had been fired. Since the letter was published, it has gained dozens more signatures, according to him.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu downplayed the letter on Friday, saying it was written by a “small handful of weeds, operated by foreign-funded NGOs whose sole goal is to overthrow the right-wing government.”
Anyone who encourages refusal will be immediately dismissed, Netanyahu explained.
IDF soldiers are required to avoid politics and rarely speak out about the army or its operations.
The letter comes as Israel ramps up its offensive in Gaza, trying to pressure Hamas to agree to free the remaining 59 hostages, more than half of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid has left civilians in the Strip facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle.
It has pledged to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor cutting across it.
After the Hamas incursion into Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel quickly united behind the war launched against the militant group.
But divisions have grown as the war progressed, and most criticism has focused on the mounting number of soldiers killed and the failure to return the hostages.
Pressure to release the hostages
Freed hostages and their families are doing what they can to keep attention on their plight and urge the government to get the remaining captives back home.
Meanwhile, the war against Hamas has shown no sign of stopping.
Since Israel ended an eight-week ceasefire last month, it said it will push further into Gaza until Hamas releases the hostages.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed in March, according to the United Nations.
The IDF issued an urgent warning on Friday to residents in several neighbourhoods in northern Gaza, calling on them to evacuate immediately.
Strikes earlier this week killed at least 23 people, health officials said, including eight women and eight children.
