'Stop the Gaza War' – The Message of 1,000 Soldiers Shakes Israel - Jordan News

Jordan News

10-04-2025

'Stop the Gaza War' – The Message of 1,000 Soldiers Shakes Israel Nearly 1,000 reservists and active-duty soldiers signed a letter calling for an end to the war, which Israel's official broadcasting authority labeled as 'insubordination within the army.' اضافة اعلان Haaretz: The Chief of Staff and the Air Force Commander decided to discharge active reservists who signed the letter. Yedioth Ahronoth: The letter sparked concern among senior military and state officials due to its political nature. The Air Force does not rule out that more soldiers may join. A security source told Army Radio: The signatories suffer from a significant lack of trust in the Air Force Commander, the Chief of Staff, and the missions assigned to them. Israel awoke Thursday to a military-political storm after nearly 1,000 retired and active Air Force soldiers published a letter calling for an end to the ongoing war in Gaza, now lasting more than a year and a half. The signatories, including senior retired commanders, stated: 'At this point, the war primarily serves the political and personal interests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not the security interests.' On Thursday, Haaretz reported that Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Air Force Commander Tomer Bar decided to dismiss the active reservists who signed the letter. The army stated that 'most of the signatories are not in active service,' but did not reveal exact numbers. Two days prior, the content of the letter had already become known, and Israel's state broadcasting authority described it as 'insubordination within the army.' However, the soldiers' bold move to publish the letter publicly shocked the Israeli military leadership—especially the Air Force. Fearing its implications, the Air Force Commander had tried in recent days to dissuade the signatories from publishing the letter, but to no avail. A Failed Attempt Yedioth Ahronoth reported: 'The letter had already raised concern among senior military and state officials even before its publication due to its political tone.' The newspaper added: 'Major General Bar met with a number of senior Air Force reservists, including former Air Force Commanders Eliezer Shkedi, Dan Halutz, and Ido Nehoshtan, in the presence of Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, in an attempt to dissuade them from releasing the letter.' The goal of the Chief of Staff's presence was to show his support for the Air Force Commander. However, the letter was published on Thursday morning and widely covered by all Israeli media, including state broadcasters. More Might Join According to Channel 14, out of the approximately 1,000 signatories, 90 are active reservists—drawing particular attention, since the rest are retirees. Yedioth Ahronoth wrote: 'Initial army checks indicate that 10% of the signatories are active-duty reservists—mostly volunteers—while the rest are former or retired personnel.' The report continued: 'Dozens of active personnel have withdrawn their signatures over the past two days after talks with branch commanders.' Still, the Air Force does not rule out the possibility that more active personnel will join, depending on how the situation develops. A Deep Trust Crisis According to Maariv, 'in recent hours, the Air Force has been reviewing the list of pilots, flight crews, and ground personnel who signed the letter.' The army has determined that: 'Due to the political content of the letter, those who signed it cannot continue to serve.' Maariv added: 'It appears that only a very small number of active-duty reservists signed the letter, as most are no longer serving due to age.' An unnamed army official was quoted: 'The letter undermines the legitimacy of continuing the war in Gaza. Therefore, anyone who signed it cannot continue to serve.' Army Radio quoted a security source saying: 'Anyone who signs such a letter clearly has a deep trust issue with the Air Force Commander, the Chief of Staff, and the missions they receive, making it very difficult for them to remain in service.' High-Profile Signatories Among the signatories are: Former Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. (Res.) Dan Halutz Former Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nimrod Shefer Former Civil Aviation Authority head Col. (Ret.) Neri Yarkoni Former Head of Human Resources Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Gil Regev Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Relik Shafir Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Amir Haskel Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Assaf Agmon The letter topped headlines in all Israeli media outlets, at a time when Israel—backed fully by the U.S.—has continued its campaign of mass destruction in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The signatories wrote: 'We, reservists and retired members of the air crew, demand the immediate return of the hostages—even if it requires an immediate cessation of hostilities.' Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza has left over 166,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them women and children, with over 11,000 still missing. Israel estimates 59 hostages remain in Gaza, including 24 still alive, while more than 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, many reportedly suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect—resulting in multiple deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights sources. The signatories emphasized: 'The continuation of this war no longer contributes to any of its stated objectives and will only lead to the deaths of hostages, soldiers, and innocent civilians, while exhausting the reserves.' They added: 'As proven in the past, only a negotiated agreement can bring the hostages home safely. Military pressure, by contrast, mostly leads to their deaths and endangers our troops.' Background on Ceasefire and Renewed War On March 1, 2025, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel—brokered by Egypt and Qatar and supported by the U.S.—formally ended. The deal had started on January 19, 2025, and was fully honored by the Palestinian side. However, Netanyahu—wanted by the International Criminal Court—reneged on implementing the second phase, and resumed mass killing in Gaza on March 18, responding to pressure from the far-right elements of his government, according to Israeli media. The signatories concluded by calling on: 'All citizens of Israel to demand, everywhere and by all means, an immediate end to the fighting and the return of all the hostages.' Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years. As of now, about 1.5 million of Gaza's 2.4 million residents are homeless due to the destruction of their homes in this war of extermination. The territory has also entered famine, as Israel continues to block humanitarian aid from entering through the crossings.
Source: Anadolu Agency (AA)