Israeli soldiers express their frustration over Gaza conflict in letter to army chief of staff

Hundreds of Israeli reserve officers and soldiers sent a letter Thursday to Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir saying that troops have “returned to turmoil in the Gaza Strip, without clear objectives.”

They urged Zamir to define the goals of resuming the war in Gaza and to set a clear deadline for achieving mission objectives, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Authority KAN reported.

KAN described the letter as “unusual.”

Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported on Feb. 19 that nearly 170,000 soldiers, including thousands of reservists returning from combat, had registered for a psychological treatment program launched by the Ministry of Defense.

The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing 855 people, injuring nearly 1,900 others and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas that took hold in January.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 113,900 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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.