Israeli Air Force Begins Dismissing Reservists Who Signed Anti-War Petition

The Israeli Air Force has begun dismissing reservists who signed a public petition opposing the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, according to a report published Monday by Haaretz.

The move comes in response to a letter signed by around 1,000 Air Force personnel — including senior officers, pilots, and other reservists — which called for an immediate end to the war, stating that the current military campaign “serves political and personal interests” rather than national security.

The Air Force has already informed at least one brigadier general in the reserves of his dismissal and is conducting individual conversations with other active-duty signatories. Military officials claim approximately 60 of the petition’s signatories are active reservists, including seven pilots. However, the organisers argue that the actual number is higher, though they have declined to disclose the full figure.

Earlier this month, senior commanders held private meetings with several of the reservists involved, reportedly warning them of dismissal unless they retracted their support. Following these discussions, around 25 reservists withdrew their signatures, while others reaffirmed or expressed a renewed interest in joining the protest in defiance of the military’s threats.

The petition, which explicitly avoided calling for refusal of service, argued that the war was counterproductive and endangered both Israeli hostages and soldiers. “Continuing the war will not achieve any of its declared goals,” the letter read. “Instead, it will lead to the death of hostages, soldiers, and innocent civilians, and the exhaustion of the reservists.”

The signatories also stressed that “hostages can only be brought back through an agreement,” and urged the Israeli public to demand an immediate end to the conflict.

The petition has sparked a ripple effect across other branches of the military. In recent days, additional letters of protest have emerged from a wide range of reservists, including former combatants from elite units such as the paratroopers, Golani Brigade, Shayetet 13, and offensive cyber units, as well as reservist doctors and personnel from the navy, artillery corps, and the military spokesperson’s office.

The growing dissent within Israel’s military reserves highlights increasing divisions over the government’s handling of the war, now in its seventh month, and adds pressure to an already strained political and security establishment.