TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hundreds of active and reserve officers of the Israeli army have sent an open letter urging the Israeli government and military leadership to halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
As reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and quoted by Anadolu on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, they referred to the war in Gaza as a political war that "doesn't serve Israel's national security and is therefore immoral."
The letter, which has gathered around 1,200 signatures from reserve and active duty officers in various Israeli military units, demands the immediate cessation of hostilities and the safe return of all hostages.
"We, former and current reserve IDF (army) officers and commanders, demand the government and chief of staff (Eyal Zamir) stop the political war in Gaza and immediately return all the hostages," the letter said, as reported by Haaretz.
"Continuing the war goes against the will of an overwhelming majority of the public, will result in the deaths of hostages, IDF soldiers and innocent civilians, and may even lead to the commission of war crimes," the letter warned.
The officers argue that "this is a war to prepare for the occupation of Gaza."
The signatories also warned about the long-term psychological impact on the Israeli army.
"We are confident that the chief of staff will refuse any order that waves a ‘black flag’ and that could cause soldiers to carry out orders whose consequences will haunt them for the rest of their lives," the letter stated.
The Israeli military has not commented on the letter.
The authors are the same group that issued a similar open letter last month, calling for the immediate return of the hostages, even if it requires ending the war, according to the newspaper.
The petition in April came from various military members, including qualified reserve soldiers, retirees, and former top commanders, and was followed by civilians and former Israeli police officers.
The Israeli military, which has rejected international calls for a ceasefire, has conducted brutal attacks on Gaza since October 2023. The 600-day genocide has killed more than 54,000 Palestinian citizens, most of whom are women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war crimes against defenseless civilians in that region.
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