1,000 Israeli Air Force reservists demand end to Gaza war to return captives
17:06, 10/04/2025, Thursday
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Letter published by Air Force reservists says Gaza war is going on for ‘political and personal interests'
A group of 1,000 current and former Israeli Air Force reservists called on Thursday for the return of all captives held in the Gaza Strip, "even if it means ending the war."
"The continuation of the war doesn't advance any of the declared goals of the war, and will bring about the deaths of the hostages, IDF (army) soldiers and innocent civilians," reads a letter published by the reservists in Israeli media.
The letter called for the "immediate return" of Israeli captives from Gaza, saying that the current war is going on for "political and personal interests."
“Only an agreement can return hostages safely, while military pressure mainly leads to the killing of hostages and the endangerment of our soldiers," the reservists said, calling on Israelis "to mobilize for action."
The letter's signatures included former army chief Dan Halutz.
Israel estimates that 59 hostages are still held in Gaza, with at least 22 of them alive.
They were expected to be set free in a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, which would require Israel to fully withdraw its forces from Gaza and end the war permanently.
The Israeli army renewed a deadly assault on Gaza on March 18 and has since killed nearly 1,500 victims, injured 3,700 others, and shattered the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that was signed in January.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed last week to escalate attacks on Gaza as efforts are underway to implement US President Donald Trump's plan to displace Palestinians from the enclave.
More than 50,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his 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 for its war on the enclave.