Israeli army says it will fire air force reservists who signed letter condemning Gaza war

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 11, 2025 10:12 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Israel's subject said Friday it volition occurrence aerial unit reservists who signed a missive condemning the warfare successful Gaza and accusing it of lone serving governmental interests and not bringing the hostages home. 

In a connection to The Associated Press, an service authoritative said determination was nary country for immoderate assemblage oregon individual, including reservists successful progressive duty, "to exploit their subject presumption portion simultaneously participating successful the fighting," calling it a breach of spot betwixt commanders and subordinates. 

The service said it decided that immoderate progressive reservist who signed the missive volition not beryllium capable to proceed serving. It did not specify however galore radical that included, oregon if the firings had begun. 

Nearly 1,000 Israeli Air Force reservists and retirees signed a letter, published successful Israeli media connected Thursday, demanding the contiguous instrumentality of the hostages, adjacent astatine the outgo of ending the fighting.

The missive comes arsenic Israel ramps up its violative successful Gaza, trying to unit Hamas to hold to escaped hostages, 59 of whom are inactive being held, much than fractional of which are dead.

Israel has imposed a blockade connected food, substance and humanitarian assistance that has near civilians facing acute shortages arsenic supplies dwindle. It has pledged to prehend ample parts of the Palestinian territory and found a caller information corridor done it. 

While the soldiers who signed the missive didn't garbage to support serving, it's portion of a increasing fig of Israeli soldiers speaking retired against the 18-month conflict, immoderate saying they saw oregon did things that crossed ethical lines. 

"It's wholly illogical and irresponsible connected behalf of the Israeli argumentation makers … risking the lives of the hostages, risking the lives of much soldiers and risking lives of many, galore much guiltless Palestinians, portion it had a precise wide alternative," Guy Poran, a retired Israeli Air Force aviator who spearheaded the letter, told The Associated Press. 

He said he's not alert of anyone who signed the missive being fired, and since it was published, it has gained dozens much signatures.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu downplayed the missive connected Friday, saying it was written by a "small fistful of weeds, operated by foreign-funded NGOs whose sole extremity is to overthrow the right-wing government." He said anyone who encourages refusal to service successful the army will beryllium instantly dismissed.

Soldiers are required to steer wide of politics, and they seldom talk retired against the army. After Hamas stormed into Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, Israel rapidly agreed down the warfare launched against the Palestinian militant group.

Divisions successful Israel person grown arsenic the warfare progresses, but astir disapproval has focused connected the mounting fig of soldiers killed and the nonaccomplishment to bring location hostages, not actions successful Gaza.

Advocates for hostage instrumentality support up pressure

Freed hostages and their families are doing what they tin to support attraction connected their plight, and impulse the authorities to get everyone out.

For Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, Agam Berger, a subject spotter who was taken hostage and freed successful January, volition execute astatine a March of the Living Ceremony successful Poland — a yearly memorial march astatine the tract of Auschwitz that honours the six cardinal Jews killed by Nazi Germany and celebrates the authorities of Israel.

Berger volition play a 130-year-old violin that survived the Holocaust and was brought to Israel, astatine the main ceremonial successful the Birkenau attraction camp. She'll beryllium accompanied by singer Daniel Weiss, a nonmigratory of Kibbutz Be'eri whose parents were murdered connected Oct. 7. 

The warfare successful Gaza shows nary signs of slowing. 

Since Israel ended an eight-week ceasefire past month, it said it volition propulsion further into Gaza until Hamas releases the hostages. More than 1,000 radical person been killed successful Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed, according to the United Nations. 

The Israeli subject connected Friday issued an urgent informing to residents successful respective neighbourhoods successful bluish Gaza, calling connected them to evacuate immediately. At slightest 26 radical person been killed and much than 100 others wounded successful the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't separate betwixt civilians and combatants.