Hundreds of reserve soldiers declared on Tuesday at a press conference in Tel Aviv their refusal to report for an operation to conquer Gaza City, following a decision by the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet. The press conference featured senior officers who served hundreds of days on reserve duty during the "Swords of Iron" war. Capt. R. who served 270 days on reserve duty in the war, stated, "The decision to launch an operation for the final conquest of Gaza is blatantly illegal."
"The decision to conquer Gaza will place the hostages, soldiers, and civilians in jeopardy. It is being issued by a messianic government that lacks public legitimacy and is solely concerned with its own political survival," R. added, stressing that "we are declaring that if we are called for reserve duty – we will not report. We will not respond to the Order 8 call-up notices that are sent." He argued, "The government's plan to conquer Gaza for good constitutes a blatantly illegal order over which a black flag flies."
Sgt. D., who served more than 200 days on reserve duty in the war, joined the declaration "We, soldiers 'For the Hostages,' will no longer report for service in this war if we are called. We are the soldiers and reservists who reported on October 7, who sacrificed and paid an enormous price for the country, and we are not prepared to continue serving this government and its policies." He asserted that "the Israeli government of Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, and Smotrich has failed to take any responsibility to this day for the October 7 massacre. This government has no interest in the security of the country but only in undermining it."
A high-ranking officer in the reserves, who served as a battalion commander in the Alexandroni Brigade and subsequently as a mental health officer, explained the reasoning behind the refusal by saying, "The reason we believe one must refuse, that the most patriotic and Zionist act today, is to refuse, concerns what it does to both sides. Both, as has been mentioned, the unending suffering of the residents in Gaza, and also the soldiers returning from Gaza, who are physically and mentally broken."
One of the participants issued a warning that "a soldier required to carry out illegal orders is a soldier who will later be unable to sleep at night, unable to function again with his family, and the circles of harm extend beyond the soldier himself to his children, his family, his friends, and his workplace."
The soldiers announced the launch of a support line for wavering soldiers on the social media channels of "Soldiers for the Hostages."
