15 more soldiers signed the letter declaring that they would refuse to continue serving without a hostage deal, as reported by Walla on Tuesday.
The soldiers joined a total of 138 previous signatures; two of the recent additions are currently serving, and one of them is a woman.
Some of them signed to indicate that this is the end of their current service, while others signed to warn that they are reaching a breaking point, as previously reported by The Jerusalem Post.
The letter, addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and government members, called for the end of the war: “We, the reservists and active-duty soldiers, officers, and soldiers, hereby declare that we cannot continue like this. The war in Gaza sentences our brothers and sisters, the hostages, to death,” the letter reads.
End of service date approaching
“On that cursed day, October 7, we woke up to a horrific and indiscriminate massacre, where more than a thousand were murdered and hundreds were taken hostage. We immediately enlisted to fight, defend our country, and rescue the hostages held captive in Gaza. Today, it is clear that the continuation of the war in Gaza not only delays the return of the hostages from captivity but also endangers their lives: many hostages were killed by IDF bombings, many more than those saved in military operations to rescue them,” they added.
The letter did not specify a date by which they would stop their service, but they warned that it is approaching. “We, who serve and have served with dedication, risking our lives, hereby declare that if the government does not change direction immediately and work to promote a deal to bring the hostages home, we will no longer be able to serve. For some of us, the red line has already been crossed; for others, it is approaching: the day is near when, with broken hearts, we will stop showing up for duty. We call on the government: sign now on a deal to save the lives of the hostages.”
Among the signatories is a female lieutenant combat officer. In recent months, she has been continuously involved in the fighting. From October 7 massacre to operations deep within the Gaza Strip, she felt like she was in the right place. Now, she says her confidence has been shaken.
“At the start of the war, I rushed to the south, to the border towns with my battalion. We were part of all the horrors. I maneuvered in Gaza,” said the 23-year-old officer. “Where we are today as a country is not where we were a year ago. When I was in Gaza, I felt like we were going to bring the hostages back, eliminate Hamas, and do the most morally righteous thing possible. There was no doubt about it. I felt lucky to be doing my job and being part of the search for clues about the hostages.”
As negotiations continued to fail, she began to question her surroundings. “There was a deal, there were supposed to be more deals—and all of those options were abandoned at the political level. When I heard over the radio the names of the hostages returning, we wrote their names on the walls of the houses, and that became our source of strength. No matter how little we slept or how many explosions and raids there were, that was the mission we gathered for. The thought that, as a commander, the government isn’t doing everything to bring them back raises doubts,” she admits. “I feel a crisis in my relationship with the state and the army.”
The officer says she’s unsure what consequences her difficult decision might bring. “I don’t have a set date after which I’ll say, 'That’s it, I’m refusing.' I’m not just a soldier; I’m an officer, a Zionist. It’s a tough dilemma. I command a unit of soldiers. It’s not like if I’m gone, everything will collapse, but I know that active-duty soldiers leaving the army over this issue could destabilize solid ground. Still, I stand behind this choice. I signed the letter, and I’ve decided that, no matter what, I will not extend my service,” she says.
The officer explained that the letter was meant to acknowledge an unpopular stance. “I love reading books about the founding of the state. Many times, I’ve asked myself, if I had lived back then, which organization would I have joined. The answer was always the one that had the most impact. If, at the moment of truth, when history is being written, we don’t take the big, unpopular step—who are we?” she reflects.
Despite her conviction, she acknowledges the risks. “It’s possible that if I go through with this, I’ll be penalized—whether it’s through my salary or the service itself. It’s on my mind. Taking this path is not comfortable. But there’s nothing more important than following what you believe in. If my brother were a hostage—I’d want everyone to stop their lives for him.”