The Israeli military dismissed Air Force reservists who had voiced criticism of the war in Gaza, reported CNN citing a statement by the Israeli military.
The reservist pilots publicly called for prioritizing the immediate return of the remaining Israeli hostages over fighting Hamas, even if this means halting the war.
A Protest Letter
Hundreds of Israeli Air Force reservists and retirees signed a letter in which they criticized the military for fighting a war for political purposes. “At this time, the war mainly serves political and personal interests and not security interests,” they said.
The group also warned the ongoing fighting will lead to the death of the remaining hostages and more Israeli soldiers and innocent civilians.
“The continuation of the war does not contribute to any of its stated goals and will lead to the death of abductees, (Israeli military) soldiers and innocent civilians, and to the attrition of reservists,” they added.
“As has been proven in the past, only a deal can bring back the hostages safely,” the Israeli reservists noted.
Dismissing Reservists
In response, the Israeli military Chief of Staff and the Air Force commander fired the signatories of the letter. “It is impossible for someone who works a shift in (an Air Force) pit to later come out and express a lack of confidence in the mission. This is an impossible anomaly,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
The military did not specify how many of the signatories are active or reserve, saying it is working out to identify who is still in the military. However, BBC reported that most of the 970 signatories are retired, but dozens are still active personnel.
Growing Discontent
Israel resumed its air and ground operations in Gaza on March 18, breaking a ceasefire deal that came into force in January. Throughout 18 months of war, the Israeli military power played a key role, relying heavily on reservist pilots, according to BBC.
The resumption of war has made Israeli reservists more vocal as they face the personal and financial burdens of repeated reserve deployments. They are also becoming increasingly skeptical of the Israeli government commitment to negotiating the hostages’ release.
Moreover, the resumption of war in Gaza and the failure to free the remaining hostages have caused a growing discontent inside Israel. As a result, around 70% of Israelis support ending the war in return for the release of hostages as part of a deal, CNN reported citing a recent poll by Israel’s Channel 12.
Netanyahu’s Outrage
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, strongly criticized the letter. According to BBC, he said that the letter was written by a “radical, marginal group” who tries to break the Israeli society from within.
“Refusal to serve is refusal to serve – even if it implied and in polite language,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “Expressions that weaken the (Israeli military) and strengthen our enemies in wartime are unforgivable,” he noted, adding that the letter’s signatories do not represent the fighters or the public.
Likewise, the Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, described the letter as an attempt to “undermine the legitimacy” of what he called “the just war.”
Netanyahu and Katz, as well as the far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, praised the Israeli military’s decision to fire the signatories.
Gaza War
The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. The Gaza war has so far claimed the lives of more than 50,880 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
A three-phase ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect on January 19, 2025. The first phase, during which Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and 8 bodies in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, expired on March 1.
Since then, negotiators have been trying to reach an agreement on a second phase to release the remaining hostages and end the war. The US proposed extending the first phase until mid-April, exchanging more Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
However, both sides disagreed. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel insists it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ capabilities and frees all hostages. After Hamas’ refusal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, Israel blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza and resumed war on March 18.
