Tel Aviv [Israel], April 11 (HBTV): A thousand Air Force retirees and reservists in Israel have been dismissed after publishing a letter calling for an end to the war in Gaza, alleging the conflict is driven by political rather than security interests.

The letter, published as an advert in several Israeli news outlets, stated: ‘We demand the immediate return of the hostages home, even at the cost of an immediate cessation of fighting. At this time, the war primarily serves political and personal interests, not security interests. The continuation of the war contributes nothing to any of its declared goals and will lead to the deaths of hostages, IDF soldiers, and innocent civilians, as well as to the burnout of reservists.’

The signatories stressed that their message was ‘not a call for refusal’ to serve and urged Israelis to ‘mobilize for action’.

The decision to dismiss them from service marks a shift in leadership approach following the appointment of Eyal Zamir as Head of the IDF last month, succeeding Herzi Halevi, who held the post for two years.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the move, calling the letter an implicit refusal to serve and an attempt to ‘break Israeli society from within’. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said: ‘Prime Minister Netanyahu supports the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff in their decision to dismiss the letter's signatories. Refusal is refusal — even when it is said implicitly and in slurred language. Statements that weaken the IDF and strengthen our enemies in a time of war are unforgivable. This is an extremist fringe group that is trying again to break Israeli society from within. They already tried to do this before October 7, and Hamas interpreted the calls for refusal as weakness. This noisy fringe group is being mobilized for one goal — to overthrow the government. It does not represent the fighters or the public. The IDF is fighting — and we are all behind it.’

While IDF leadership has historically not acted against reservists expressing political views, the military stated that the use of the Israeli Air Force’s name to deliver a political message prompted the dismissals. Until now, reservists have only been dismissed for refusing to report for duty.

The group behind the letter reportedly consists mostly of retirees, along with around a dozen reservists, many of whom have not served in years. Despite warnings, they proceeded with the publication.

Meanwhile, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited IDF troops in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and reaffirmed the goal of dismantling Hamas. ‘You, the troops of the 36th Division, have returned to operate in the Gaza Strip, in an area where IDF troops are operating for the first time — the Morag Corridor — in an operation that caught the enemy by surprise, resulted in the elimination of dozens of terrorists, and led to the locating of numerous weapons. You are applying significant pressure. I expect you to bring about the defeat of Hamas' Rafah Brigade and to achieve victory wherever you operate. As we approach Passover, the holiday of freedom, the objective of our operation here is clear and just — the return of all our hostages, the achievement of victory, and the dismantling of Hamas.’

Although the IDF had previously declared the defeat of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade in September, Zamir recently described that declaration as ‘premature’. He emphasized that controlling the Morag Corridor — a frequently used route by Hamas operatives to cross into Egypt — would be a significant step toward achieving Israeli objectives.

The war in Gaza has continued since October 7, 2023, after militants from the Gaza Strip, many of whom were members of Hamas, infiltrated Israeli territory, killing over 1,200 people, committing mass rapes, setting homes ablaze, and taking hundreds hostage.

Over the past 18 months, all but 59 of the hostages have been released through deals, though many were returned deceased. Only the first phase of a three-part deal between Israel and Hamas has been implemented. Roughly half of the remaining hostages are believed to be alive.

(ANI/TPS)