Israeli reservists refuse to fight in Gaza Strip - Reason
Illustrative photo: Israeli soldiers (Getty Images)
Israeli reservists have refused to return to the Gaza Strip, believing that the ongoing war threatens Israel's future, according to The Times of Israel.
Medical professionals of various ranks, including doctors, paramedics, psychiatrists, and nurses, have signed a letter refusing to serve on ethical and legal grounds, calling the continuation of the conflict "beyond all reason."
The reservists stated that the war harms "civilians on both sides, to Israel’s social fabric, and to the country’s long-term survival."
They also consider "the takeover of territories and the call to settle them” in Gaza, “in violation of international law."
The Israeli army is increasingly facing the problem of reservists not showing up for service. This is due to both fatigue from multiple reserve duties over the last 16 months and frustration with the external and internal policies of the far-right government.
Israel-Hamas war
Since mid-January, a ceasefire and prisoner exchange had been in place between the Israeli army and the Palestinian group Hamas. However, by mid-March, active hostilities resumed in the enclave as militants began to delay the prisoner exchange.
On March 20, Israeli forces dismantled Hamas structures in the Shabura area in the city of Rafah.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense did not rule out the expansion of the buffer zone along the Gaza border in case the terrorists refuse to release the prisoners.
Additionally, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) may occupy the Gaza Strip for several months.
