Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected criticism of the Gaza war by some air force reservists, calling it “unforgivable”.
The Israeli military said it would dismiss serving reservists who had signed a letter calling for the return of Israeli hostages to be prioritised over fighting Hamas.
The letter also says the current fighting is politically motivated and will lead to the deaths of the hostages, Israeli soldiers and innocent civilians.
The military said it could not allow serving reservists to engage in political protests.
Israel resumed its air and ground campaign in Gaza last month, saying that military pressure would force Hamas to release the hostages it is still holding.
Israel’s military air power, which has been used extensively in Gaza over the past 18 months, relies heavily on reservist pilots.
Most of the 970 signatories of the letter published in Israeli newspapers on Thursday morning are retired. But it is reported that dozens are still active personnel.
The letter does not call for refusal to serve, but it demands “the return of all hostages even at the price of a cessation of hostilities”.
“Currently, the war serves mainly political and personal interests, not security interests,” it says.
“The continuation of the war does not contribute to any of its declared goals and will lead to the deaths of the hostages, Israeli soldiers and innocent civilians, and to the attrition of the IDF reserve forces.”
It adds: “As has been proven in the past, only a deal can bring back the hostages safely.”
An IDF spokesperson was quoted by Israeli media as saying that it was unacceptable to “use the Israeli Air Force brand” for a political protest.
“It is inconceivable for someone to do a shift at [the IAF] command centre and head out afterward and express mistrust in the task,” they added.
Netanyahu said the letter came from a “radical, marginal group”, accusing it of trying to fracture Israeli society from within.
“Refusal to serve is refusal to serve – even if it implied and in polite language,” he said.
“Expressions that weaken the IDF and strengthen our enemies in wartime are unforgivable.”
He also claimed that the signatories represent “neither the fighters nor the public”.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said the letter was an attempt “to undermine the legitimacy” of what he called “the just war”.
The latest opinion polls indicate widespread support among the Israeli public for a new ceasefire and hostage release deal.
When the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) recently asked Israelis which of the state’s declared war goals – toppling Hamas or bringing home all the hostages – was more important, 68% said it was the latter.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 50,880 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.
A ceasefire deal that began in January and lasted two months saw Hamas release 33 Israeli hostages – eight of them dead – and five Thai hostages in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and a surge in humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, blaming Hamas’s refusal to accept a proposal for an extension of the agreement’s first phase and the release of more of the 59 hostages it is still holding, up to 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
Hamas accused Israel of violating the original deal, according to which there would be a second phase where all the remaining living hostages would be handed over and the war brought to a permanent end.
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