Israeli Army Sentences Soldiers for Declining Return to Gaza amid Growing Crisis
Despite official claims of leniency, the Israeli army continues to imprison soldiers unwilling to participate in operations in Gaza.
Two Israeli soldiers from the Nahal Brigade have been sentenced to 15 and 20 days in military prison for refusing to redeploy to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media.
Despite previous statements by the Israeli army claiming it would not jail soldiers over such refusals, the two were punished for citing mental and physical exhaustion after months of participating in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported.
The soldiers had previously been deployed in the Strip, where the Israeli military has waged a genocidal war since October 2023, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians killed, maimed, or displaced.
Israeli Army Suffers Losses amid Escalating Resistance Ambushes in Gaza
Hebrew-language media reported in early May that the Israeli military issued tens of thousands of reserve call-up orders in preparation for what it described as an “expanded” campaign in Gaza.
These orders have triggered public debates in Israel, where disillusionment is growing among soldiers and their families over the prolonged war and its unclear objectives.
A recent study conducted by Tel Aviv University found that nearly 12% of Israeli reserve soldiers who took part in operations in Gaza suffer from severe PTSD symptoms, making them unfit for continued service.
This is not the first time that Israeli soldiers have refused to deploy to Gaza. Similar cases were reported earlier in the war, though most were handled internally to avoid public scrutiny.
While the Israeli government and military apparatus continue to escalate their operations, testimonies of growing dissent within the ranks—alongside global outrage over the scale of destruction inflicted on Gaza—are beginning to puncture the narrative of military unity.
Prisoner Exchange Highlights Palestinian Unity: What Are Key Resistance Groups in Gaza?
Ongoing Genocide
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 54,000, wounding more than 123,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(PC, AJA)
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