Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced about 1,000 current and retired Israeli Air Force reservists who signed a letter calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
The document, which ignited a political uproar in Israel, urged all Israeli citizens to demand an end to the war, warning that the bombardment of Gaza puts Israeli captives held in the enclave at risk.
The soldiers said in the document, “As has been proven in the past, only a [ceasefire] deal can bring back the hostages safely, while military pressure mainly leads to the killing of the hostages and the endangerment of our soldiers.”
The document added that currently, the war “serves mainly political and personal interests, not security interests.”
Netanyahu said in a statement published by his office that “expressions that weaken” the military “and strengthen our enemies in wartime are unforgiveable.”
“This is a marginal and extremist group that is again trying to break Israeli society from within.
“They already tried to do this before October 7 and Hamas interpreted the call to refuse to serve as weakness.This noisy fringe group is mobilised for one goal – to overthrow the government. It does not represent the fighters or the public. The [Israeli army] is fighting – and we are all behind it.”
Benjamin Netanyahu
According to Israeli media, the letter does not call for a general refusal to serve but rather urges Israeli officials to prioritise the release of captives rather than pursuing the deadly war.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said that the signatories include many active reservists, including senior officers and pilots, as well as others who are no longer in active reserve duty.
The report added that after the document was leaked, military officials called the signatories and urged them to retract, on orders from Israeli Air Force Commander, Tomer Bar.
Haaretz said that only 25 retracted their signatures while eight more signed in protest.
Critics have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war in a bid to keep his cabinet intact and stay as prime minister.
Families of Israeli captives and their supporters have also been urging Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire with Hamas and pave the way for the captives’ release.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 50,887 Palestinians are confirmed dead and 115,875 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza.
Meanwhile, the enclave’s Government Media Office updated its death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.
Netanyahu Expresses Support For Pilots’ Dismissal
In a statement posted on X, Netanyahu’s office said that the Prime Minister “backs the decision” of the Defence Minister, Israel Katz and the Israeli Military Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir “to dismiss those who signed the letter.” It added,“Refusal to serve is refusal to serve – even if it implied and in polite language.”
According to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar also threatened the reservist pilots who signed the letter would be barred from serving.
The Haaretz newspaper later reported that Israel’s Military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the Air Force’s Bar have decided to dismiss the reservists.
It is unclear when the dismissal would take effect.
An Analyst, Nour Odeh drew a contrast between the letter and one from 2003 signed by 27 Israeli air force pilots refusing to take part in Israeli assassination missions that put Palestinian civilians at risk.
“Look at the difference now: the debate is not about the cost to civilians, it’s not about adherence to international law, it’s about the politics of the war.
“And this is why the government is lashing out, firing those reservists and saying they will not tolerate the entry of politics into the military during an active war.”
Nour Odeh
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