Above photo: Flash90.
The air force reservists say the war is being waged for personal and political reasons.
While endangering the lives of the living captives in Gaza.
Around 1,000 Israeli reservist soldiers from the air force have signed a letter of protest demanding the prioritization of returning captives from Gaza over the continuation of the war, which they say is being led for personal and political reasons.
Ten percent of the signatories are active reservists, while the others are either retired or no longer in service.
“We, reserve and former air force personnel, demand the immediate return of the hostages – even if it requires an immediate cessation of hostilities. At this time, the war serves primarily political and personal interests, not security ones,” reads the letter, published in Hebrew media outlets on 10 April.
“Continuation of the war doesn’t advance any of the declared goals of the war, and will bring about the deaths of the hostages, of IDF soldiers and innocent civilians, while further eroding the strength of the reserve forces,” it added.
“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. We call on all citizens of Israel to mobilize for action and demand in every way: stop the fighting and bring the hostages home – now. Every day that passes endangers their lives. Every moment of hesitation is a disgrace,” the protest letter went on to say.
The reservists say their protest is against the government and not the military. Despite this, Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar is set to dismiss all the active soldiers involved. The army said it has no issue with soldiers protesting, but cannot accept the use of “the Israeli Air Force brand” for political protest.
“It is inconceivable for someone to do a shift at [the Israeli Air Force] command center and head out afterward and express mistrust in the task.”
Dozens of them recently withdrew their names from the list after consulting with their superiors, yet the army is investigating the matter to identify all the active air force members who signed the letter.
Israel renewed the war on Gaza on 18 March, relaunching a brutal campaign of airstrikes and reentering the strip on the ground. Nearly 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in less than one month, and Israel now controls around 50 percent of the strip, while advancing plans to seize even more territory.
Egypt has put forward a new proposal for the release of eight living captives and the bodies of eight deceased captives in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a truce lasting 40 to 70 days, according to Saudi media.
An Israeli source told Times of Israel that Tel Aviv has not received any updated proposal from Cairo.
The new proposal is reportedly a compromise, after an Egyptian proposal late last month for the release of five living captives and Israel’s demand that at least 11 be released.
Tel Aviv is demanding a complete disarmament of Hamas in a deviation from the original deal, which saw captives released in stages in exchange for Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.
Israeli army sources told Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that it could take years to fully defeat Hamas’s armed wing in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers are growing frustrated and fatigued.
Haaretz reported last month that the Israeli army is facing a crisis in its reserves as a growing number of soldiers have indicated a lack of motivation and an unwillingness to serve.