Israeli soldiers sign new petition demanding prisoner swap, end of war in Gaza
6 petitions signed by former, active soldiers since Thursday
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers signed a new petition Friday demanding the government reach a prisoner swap deal and end the war on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli public broadcaster KAN said the soldiers who signed the letter are from different divisions and specialties in the army, including intelligence unit 8200, special forces and elite units, such as Sayeret Matkal, Shayetet and Shaldag.
KAN added that between 20% to 30% of the signees are active reservist soldiers.
According to an Anadolu count, six petitions have been signed since Thursday, with the first signed by about 1,000 Air Force personnel that was later joined by 1,000 academics.
The second by hundreds of armored corps and navy servicemembers; the third by dozens of reserve military doctors; the fourth by hundreds of the army's intelligence unit 8200 members; the fifth by nearly 100 military doctors and the sixth by hundreds from various units, including special and elite forces.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed in several statements to fire active soldiers who signed any petition.
The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
Nearly 51,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The military campaign has left the enclave in ruins and rendered it almost uninhabitable.
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.
