Over 900 Israeli Air Force members call to end Gaza war to save captives
A letter signed by over 900 Israeli reserve and retired Air Force members, demanding the return of captives in Gaza at the cost of ending the war, has created tension within the military and drawn condemnation from the government.
The call for action, published as an advertisement across Israeli news outlets on Thursday, said that Israel's war on Gaza serves “political and personal interests” rather than national security.
“The continuation of the war does not advance any of the declared goals of the war and will bring about the deaths of the hostages, of IDF [Israeli army] soldiers and innocent civilians," the letter read.
“As has been proven in the past, only an agreement can return hostages safely, while military pressure mainly leads to the killing of hostages and the endangerment of our soldiers."
According to several Israeli newspapers, 10 percent of the signatories are active reserve servicemen, with the majority being volunteers, while the rest are former or retired members.
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The letter called on every Israeli citizen "to mobilize for action".
"Stop the fighting and return all the hostages - now. Every day that passes puts their lives at risk. Every additional moment of hesitation is a disgrace."
'Extremist fringe group'
The initiative drew backlash from both the military and the government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Air Force reservists and retirees of being "an extremist fringe group that is once again trying to break Israeli society from within. Refusal is refusal even if it’s only hinted at in whitewashed language".
Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar reportedly attempted to stifle the release of the letter, which was originally set to be published earlier this week. He held a meeting with its initiators, including several former Air Force commanders, in an attempt to block the move.
Some of the former pilots also received phone calls threatening to dismiss them if they did not remove their signatures.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth (Ynet), Bar said that any active service members who signed the letter would be barred from serving, even though the signatories insisted the letter was a protest against the government - not the military.
One of the pilots leading the calls told Ynet that "the document does not talk about refusal or failure to report and is not addressed to the army at all. It is a clear call to the government: return the kidnapped, even at the cost of stopping the fighting".
In reply, Bar said: "Anyone who signs a text that claims that the renewal of the war is essentially political and violates the return of the kidnapped cannot do his job in the reserves."
Several reservists criticised the dismissal threats, saying they violated their right to express their opinion. To protest against the pressure, a few Air Force members asked to have their names added to the letter.
On the other hand, dozens who had originally signed the letter last week withdrew their signatures after talks with branch commanders.
The latest move by Israeli Air Force reservists and retirees reflects growing discontent within Israel as opposition to Netanyahu’s handling of the war intensifies.
In late March, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets, voicing their anger over the government’s decision to resume military operations in Gaza despite a ceasefire.
Families of captives held by Hamas in Gaza reacted with shock, anger and grief to the news.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main organisation representing the captives’ families, called for a protest in Jerusalem, saying: “We are shocked, outraged and anxious by the deliberate shattering of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas."
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