Over 1,200 Israeli reservists demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza
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Over 1,200 Israeli reserve soldiers and officers signed a letter calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning that ongoing military operations endanger captives and civilians and risk potential war crimes.
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Israeli soldiers work on tanks and armored vehicles at a staging area near the border with the Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestine, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP)
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed that 1,200 reserve soldiers and officers in the Israeli military signed a letter addressed to the government and the chief of staff, calling for an immediate halt to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
The letter stated that continuing the war amounts to a political conflict that does not serve security objectives and goes against the will of the overwhelming majority of the Israeli public.
The signatories demanded the immediate return of all Israeli captives in Gaza without delay, warning that continued military operations could lead to their deaths while also endangering the lives of soldiers and innocent civilians.
The letter also warned that prolonging the war could lead to war crimes, stressing that continued fighting serves Israel’s interests neither militarily nor morally.
In mid-April, Haaretz reported, citing sources, that over 100,000 Israelis had signed petitions calling for an end to the war and the return of captives within just five days.
This comes as "Israel" initiates its largest reservist mobilization ever, as it continues to grapple with a manpower problem amid a wide-scale ground invasion of Gaza.
'Israel' mobilizes reservists for Gaza war
Earlier today, the Israeli occupation government authorized its largest reservist call-up since the October 7 war began, approving the emergency mobilization of up to 450,000 troops under Order 8.
Order 8 is a high-level emergency protocol in the Israeli military system that is only triggered during wartime or major security crises, requiring reservists to report for immediate service without any possibility of delay or refusal.
Order 8, one of the military's highest-alert mobilization protocols, ensures immediate combat readiness for critical security threats.
IOF call up 60,000 reservists in May
During the first week of May, Israeli occupation forces began issuing tens of thousands of reserve call-up orders, according to Israeli media, which reported that the move is intended to "expand the operation in the Gaza Strip."
Channel 14 reported that approximately 60,000 reservists were expected to report to their units and assume their positions near the Lebanese border, Syria, or the occupied West Bank, to free up regular combat units for redeployment to Gaza.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from families of Israeli captives held in Gaza, who warned that escalating the ground assault would only endanger the lives of captives.
The Israeli government has declared its intention to occupy the entirety of the Gaza Strip while neglecting the demands of the settler community, including ex-soldiers and the families of captives, who have been increasingly calling for the end of the war.
