Members of Israel’s elite military intelligence Unit 8200 have penned a collective letter urging the government to prioritize the return of the hostages held in Gaza—even if that means halting combat operations—according to reports in Israeli media on Friday.
The letter, signed by a wide range of individuals including reservist officers, current service members, and veterans, mirrors a recent public message released by Israel Air Force personnel. KAN reported that the initiators plan to disseminate the letter in a similar fashion.
In their statement, the 8200 signatories expressed sharp criticism of the government’s handling of the conflict. “We identify with the grave and troubling assertion that, at this time, the war serves primarily political and personal interests, not security interests.”
They continued by warning that persisting with the current military campaign would only deepen the crisis. “Continuing the war contributes nothing to its stated objectives and will lead to the deaths of hostages, IDF soldiers, and innocent civilians. We are concerned about the erosion of the reserve force and the growing rates of non-reporting for duty, and we worry about the long-term consequences of this trend.”
The letter further argued that diplomatic measures are the only viable path to recovering the captives. “Only an agreement can bring the hostages back safely, while military pressure mainly results in the killing of hostages and endangers our soldiers,” the letter continued. “Every day that passes their lives are at risk; every additional moment of hesitation is a disgrace.”
Meanwhile, the IDF reportedly plans to dismiss several hundred air force reservists who recently signed a published appeal demanding a cessation of the war.
Though the message focuses primarily on the conflict, some of those involved are also vocal opponents of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s push to reform the judiciary and his alleged attempts to remove Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.
Of all those who endorsed the letter, only 60 currently serve in the reserves, and among them, the number of active pilots is reportedly fewer than ten.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has taken the position that regardless of the political turbulence surrounding Netanyahu’s leadership, the IDF must remain apolitical. He emphasized that reservists are prohibited from publicly expressing views on matters decided by Israel’s democratically elected government.
{Matzav.com}