Politics Israel: Group of reservists criticizes resumption of the Gaza war
Almost 1,000 active and retired members of the Israeli Air Force have criticized the resumption of the Gaza war, causing displeasure in the government and army.
10.04.2025, 13:50
SDA
According to a letter from the group, the fighting is currently serving "mainly political and personal interests" and not the security of the country. The signatories also called for an agreement to release all hostages in the Gaza Strip, even if this would mean the end of the war against Hamas. The continuation of the fighting could lead to the death of the hostages, Israeli soldiers and innocent civilians, the letter continued.
Most of the signatories are retired members of the army, according to Israeli military circles. According to the information, the air force will dismiss all active reservists involved. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports this step. According to Netanyahu's office, the letter weakens the army and strengthens the enemy in times of war. The signatories are a "radical fringe group" whose aim is to overthrow the government, he claimed.
Critics accuse Netanyahu of having resumed the Gaza war in order to ensure his political survival. The Israeli budget had to be approved by the end of March, otherwise there would automatically have been new elections. For this, Netanyahu needed the support of a far-right minister who had resigned from the government in protest against the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. After the resumption of fighting, he and his party returned to the coalition.
According to Israeli media, more and more reservists are also refusing to return to the Gaza war because they no longer agree with the army's actions and fear an Israeli reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, for example.
