More Israeli army reservists are refusing to serve citing government decisions, reports state [Getty]
The Israeli army has expressed alarm over a ‘crisis’ unfolding, warning of a 50 percent drop in reserve soldiers reporting to duty, Israeli media reported.
Scores of brigade and battalion commanders said they were seeing an increased number of reservists saying they would not serve, due to Israel shattering the ceasefire deal with Gaza and failing to free captives held in the enclave.
The sharp rise in reservists announcing they will no longer report to duty comes as Israel resumed its war on the Gaza Strip.
Some of those who have stated they will stop serving or volunteering include individuals in key roles and important combat posts, as well as those in intelligence units.
The army has also noted a marked decrease in reservists’ motivation, while scores of commanders and soldiers are reportedly exhausted after having to serve for hundreds of days in the past year, reports said.
Some of the reasons for the reservists refusing to report for duty include fear of the government ignoring rulings of the High Court of Justice, the government’s decision to oust Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and the intention to remove the attorney general.
The army further noted that there may be many other reasons behind the drop in reservists serving, adding that many are not publicly speaking about their choice not to report for duty.
The army noted there was also a rise in “gray refusals”, which refers to soldiers stating they would not report for duty due to health, financial or family reasons, but in fact the decision stems from moral or political reasons.
Several reservists in recent weeks cited the judicial coup as the reason why they would no longer be serving.
One reservist, combat navigator Alon Gur, who has served in the ongoing war in Gaza on all fronts, issued a statement last week informing his commander that he will not continue to report for duty.
“The line was crossed when the country again knowingly abandoned its citizens in broad daylight, at the point where cold, cynical political considerations outweigh any other considerations…”
The statement comes amid scathing criticism against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with many stating he is putting his personal agenda and political career before ensuring that captives in Gaza are freed.
Gur added that Israel has surpassed “the point where human life has lost its value” and “the government assassinates its gatekeepers”.
A senior reservist told Israeli media that reserve units are now being forced to take reservists from other units not currently engaged in combat and that many units will not have the manpower levels needed for combat.
“Many men prefer buying a cheap plane ticket to any destination just to have confirmation that they can not report for reserve duty,” a reservist officer told Haaretz, citing exhaustion being rife among soldiers.
Concern is growing in the army as they struggle to address the issue, with reports stating it would be difficult and unreasonable to jail or fine reservists who served for 18 months amid the war on Gaza.
Parents of conscripts have also voiced concerns and tried to prevent their service due to the government’s actions.
This comes as Israel resumed its war on Gaza, after violating a fragile ceasefire deal.
Over 61,700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Gaza government media office, with the toll increasing daily as Israel continues to strike densely packed areas.
