Israeli Army to Reduce Reservists in Gaza amid Growing Petitions – Report

Israeli soldiers near the Gaza fence. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Senior army officials believe that the crisis should be raised with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the political-security cabinet “as soon as possible.”

In the wake of petitions by hundreds of reserve soldiers demanding an end to Israel’s genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has decided to replace the reservists in combat zones with regular soldiers once their term of deployment concludes and reduce the number of conscription notices, the Hebrew Haaretz reported on Tuesday.

The report said that army commanders believe that the reservists’ lack of faith in Israel’s operation in the enclave “could harm operational plans, and it is already clear to the army that there is difficulty in implementing combat plans in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank.”

Meanwhile, more regular units are being sent to Gaza to reduce dependence on reservists.

Air Force Reservists’ Petition

Last week, 970 current and former Israeli Air Force reservists signed a petition demanding an end to Israel’s military operation in Gaza as well as the release of all captives. The army’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, with approval from air force commander Tomer Bar, immediately suspended those signatories still serving in the army.

The move, however, had the opposite effect, reported Haaretz, as support for the protest was growing with more reservists signing similar letters.

The report noted that Zamir “understands that he must minimize the damage” with signatories expected to be summoned for another meeting in an attempt to find a solution.

Zamir was also expected to summon reservists from additional units to present their arguments.

According to the report, sources in the army “admit that the dismissal of the reservists was done under pressure from the political echelon, even if it was not direct, and believe that the crisis in the reserves has grown much larger than is being presented to the public.”

Haaretz (English) reported on Wednesday that roughly “20 percent of the thousands of people who have signed letters in support of the air force reservists have been doing reserve duty since the war began, while many others serve in vital roles.” As a result, the number of signatories is a concern for the army.

Army’s Response

Senior army officials believed that the crisis should be raised with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the political-security cabinet “as soon as possible.”

The Israeli army “will continue to act in a state-like manner and will not allow disputes to penetrate its ranks. Reserve soldiers have the right to express an opinion when they are not in active reserve service, as citizens, on any issue and in a democratic manner,” Zamir reportedly said.

He added that the attempt “to drag” the army “and speak as a group on behalf of a military unit is unacceptable, and we will not allow it.”

Haaretz cited a statement from the office of the army’s spokesperson stating that “The claim regarding the dilution of reserve forces in operational sectors these days following protests is incorrect, and no changes were made to the reserve graph following protests. The reserve graph for 2025 is generally stable as planned.”

Naval Soldiers’ Petition

Earlier on Tuesday, dozens of Israeli naval soldiers and veterans published a statement calling for the release of the captives, “even at the cost of ending the war.”

Haaretz said that 69 of the 254 signatories were “in active reserve service.”

Similar petitions have been published in recent days by veterans of several other units.

Twenty-eight petitions have so far been signed by military personnel, former police members, and civilian professionals, according to data collected by the Anadolu news agency, bringing the total number of signatories to nearly 29,000.

Israeli Police Petition

Over 200 former Israeli police officials signed their first petition on Wednesday demanding a prisoner swap with Hamas, in the latest wave of calls for an end to Israel’s destructive war on Gaza, Anadolu reported, citing Haaretz.

Eight former police chiefs were among the signatories, including former Tel Aviv District Police Chief Ami Eshed, who was ousted in 2023 by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the report said.

They called for the immediate return of the captives through a negotiated deal and an end to the military assault on Gaza.

Signatories said that the current onslaught was being driven by personal and political motives rather than national security, the report added.

Approximately 150 Israeli soldiers from the elite Golani Brigade have also signed a similar petition, emphasizing their support for ending the war to secure the captives’ release.

Literary Figures’ Petition

Hundreds of Israeli writers, poets, and literary figures also signed a petition on Sunday with similar demands.

Haaretz reported that the signatories blame Netanyahu for the continuation of military assault on Gaza, accusing him of undermining “the most basic values of Israel as a civilized society, a democratic society, and also the values of the Declaration of Independence.”

“For the sake of his own liberty, out of fear of imprisonment over the charges currently being examined in court, the prime minister continues to deprive the hostages of their freedom, endanger IDF (Israeli army – PC) soldiers, and inflict disproportionate harm on Gaza’s civilians – all while escalating the judicial coup taking place in Israel,” they reportedly said.

Netanyahu under Pressure

Netanyahu accused the petitioners of attempting to topple his government.

“These letters were written not in the name of our heroic soldiers. They were written by a small handful of fringe elements,” he said in a statement cited by Anadolu.

The petitions follow the collapse of the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal that came into effect on January 19. Hamas adhered to the terms, but Netanyahu, facing pressure from his far-right coalition, refused to proceed to phase two, resuming military operations on March 18.

Staggering Death Toll

The latest Israeli military actions have killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians, mostly civilians.

While numerous countries and human rights groups have condemned the ceasefire violations, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.

Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins. Additionally, over 116,000 have been wounded, while 14,000 remain missing.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the besieged enclave.

(PC, Anadolu, Haaretz)

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*