“It is now clear that continuing the war in Gaza does not only delay the hostages’ return from captivity, but also endangers their lives.”
More than 100 Israeli soldiers have threatened to stop serving in the army unless the government works to secure a ceasefire and the release of captives in Gaza.
Signatories of the letter, which was signed by 130 soldiers and addressed to Israeli Cabinet ministers and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, included reservists and draftees from various military units, such as the Armored Corps, Artillery Corps, Home Front Command, air force, and navy.
‘Immediately Change Course’
“It is now clear that continuing the war in Gaza does not only delay the hostages’ return from captivity but also endangers their lives: Many hostages have been killed by IDF strikes, many more than those who have been rescued in military operations to save them,” the letter read, according to a Haaretz report on Wednesday.
It continued: “We, who serve and have served with dedication and while risking are lives, hereby announce that if the government does not immediately change course and work toward a deal to bring the hostages back home, we will not be able to continue serving.
The soldiers added, “For some of us, the red line has been crossed already; for others, it is rapidly approaching: the day is approaching when we will, with broken hearts, stop reporting for duty.”
‘Reduction’ in Capabilities
Meanwhile, Israeli media outlets have revealed that while Israel has been talking for weeks about a systematic “reduction” of the Hezbollah movement’s capabilities, the army is not talking about the extent of the “reduction” in its own capabilities over the past year of war against the Palestinians in Gaza, as well as the daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah in the north, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported on Wednesday.
Israeli Soldier Killed, Two Injured in Fighting with Hezbollah – Israel Intensifies Airstikes
Writing in the Israeli economic newspaper Calcalist, military affairs expert Yuval Azoulay explained that the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has put Israel as close as can be to a comprehensive war with an exhausted Israeli army after the longest continuous war in its history.
Azoulay’s report confirmed that in the past year, the army lost more than 700 soldiers in Gaza, with an unprecedented number wounded to varying degrees, said MEMO. The latter is estimated to be as many as 11,000 combat troops.
He pointed out that according to the rehabilitation department in the Israeli Ministry of Defence, the number of wounded soldiers increases every month by about 1,000.
‘12 Battalions’ Affected
This is the largest number of wounded that the Israeli army has ever known, with the equivalent of 12 battalions taken out of action.
Both the regular forces and reserves who will fight on the northern front — which is considered more difficult, larger, more complex and more challenging — are exhausted from the endless war in Gaza, said Azoulay.
He accused the political echelon in Tel Aviv of being responsible for this situation, as it was unable to manage any strategy for its actions in Gaza, while clearly ignoring the war of attrition in the north that has lasted for many long months, the report added.
(PC, MEMO)
Be the first to comment