Tel Aviv, Israel (AP) – When Israel summons tens of thousands of reserves Gaza city invasionmore and more soldiers and their mothers are saying no.
There are no official figures, but the newly formed group broadcasts refusal to serve despite the risk of incarceration. It’s a new phenomenon Almost two years of war It was triggered by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, but so far, there has been no apparent impact on military operations.
Rebellion is appearing The Israelis joined in a massive protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused It prolongs the war for political purposes Instead of signing a contract with Hamas to regain the remaining 48 hostages, 20 of them are believed to be alive.
Many opponents, Includes former senior officialsfearing that the latest attacks are rarely achieved and hostages will be put in danger. Israel is also facing international criticism Humanitarian catastrophe It was unleashed by the war and its blockade.
One group seeking soldiers to refuse service consists of mothers who fear that their sons will die in vain.
“I broke his leg, broken his arm, and couldn’t hurt him in any way so that he couldn’t hurt him,” Noorit Felsenthal-Berger wiped tears from his cheeks, fearing that his youngest child would return.
Fatigue and morale reduction
Avshalom Zohar Sal, a 28-year-old soldier and medic who has toured multiple Gaza, said the soldiers are exhausted, lost morale and don’t know what they are fighting for.
His doubts first emerged last year. Six hostages were later killed by prisoners When the Israeli forces were shut down, he said, “I felt this was my fault.”
His skepticism deepened during his latest tour in June, seeing the troops return to the same area they fought early in the war. He said some soldiers appear to be less concentrated and make them vulnerable to a significantly reduced attack. But still, the fatal Hamas.
“Don’t put me in a position where I need to decide whether or not I will put my life at risk again,” he said, addressing the military.
A group known as hostage soldiers say it represents more than 360 soldiers who refuse to serve. The numbers remain small, but when the reserves rushed for duty in the wake of the attack on October 7th, that is in contrast to the early days of the war. Such a refusal can be punished by incarceration, but that only happened in a handful of cases.
“Netanyahu’s continued war of attacks has unnecessarily put our own hostages at risk and wreaked havoc on the structure of Israeli society, but at the same time, it kills, attacks and starves the civilian civilians of Max Kresh, a member of the group.
Another group known as Save Our Souls or SOS says it represents nearly 1,000 mothers of the soldiers. A similar movement was believed to have helped end Israel’s 18 occupation of South Lebanon in 2000.
“We have to be their voices,” said Felcentalberger, whose two sons fought in Gaza. The group held protests across the country, met with government officials and published letters. She says her sons, including those active in the country, are no longer in Gaza. She says they support her efforts but have not refused to officially serve.
Yifat Gadot says his 22-year-old son, who fought in Gaza for nine months at the start of the war, said he felt the soldiers wearing ducks. More than 450 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of the 2023 ground invasion, according to the Army.
“I told him, ‘We will do everything we can to drive you out of Gaza and save you from this political war,” she said.
Some women encourage their sons to refuse to report due to their actions in Gaza, while others respect their son’s decisions. They say their message is primarily aimed at country leaders.
Netanyahu’s office declined to comment.
The Israelites are tired of them, but military service is “sacred”
Israel’s 60,000 reservists are the largest in months in a country with fewer than 10 million people who are required to serve military service for most Jewish men. Many already offer multiple tours from families and businesses.
The Israeli government Failure to draft ultra-orthodox men He added their wrath to the army. Religious men have long shunned military service through exemptions negotiated by politically strong leaders, an important element of the Netanyahu government. It promoted responsiveness among the larger masses. This is the feeling that grew during almost two years of war.
The military has not provided numbers regarding absences or denials, and each case has been assessed for its merits. “The contributions of the reserves are essential to maintaining mission success and national security,” he said.
At least three soldiers associated with the hostage group’s soldiers have been jailed this year and have been jailed for up to three weeks, the group said.
Support for the war was high after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7th, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians and acquiring 251.
However, especially since then, feelings have changed over the course of the war. Israel ended the ceasefire in March It promoted the release of hostages. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the war killed more than 64,000 Palestinians. The agency has not said how many of the deaths are civilians or extremists, but half of the deaths are women and children.
Recent polls show that around two-thirds of Israelis, including around 60% of Israeli Jews, should agree to a deal that includes the release of all hostages, halting hostility and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
A poll conducted by the Israeli Institute of Democracy in the last week of August looked at 600 in Hebrew and 150 in Arabic. The margin for sampling error is 3.6% points.
Hamas has long said he would accept transactions in line with those policies, but Netanyahu refused. He said the war would only end when all hostages are returned, Hamas is disarmed and Israel maintains unlimited security controls on its territory.
Myrav Sonsein, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said pushing soldiers in a deeply divided country to continue the fight could have lasting impact on Israel’s capabilities.
Many people have said that the split through a judicial overhaul planned in 2023 has created mass protests. Threats from soldiers who do not serveweakened Israel ahead of the attack on October 7th.
Still, refusing to military service remains a red line for many people in Israel. “The army and serving in it is still sacred,” Sonsein said.
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