by Jerusalem Post News Staff at Jerusalem Post
Soldiers in the IDF’s Intelligence unit 8200 wrote a joint letter calling on the government to release the hostages, even if it means stopping the fighting in Gaza, Israeli media reported on Friday.
Hundreds of reservist officers, active-duty soldiers, and retired officers signed the letter and, according to KAN, the organizers intend to publish it in a similar way to the letter published by fighters of the Air Force recently.
The 8200 officers said “We identify with the grave and troubling assertion that, at this time, the war serves primarily political and personal interests, not security interests.”
“Continuing the war contributes nothing to its stated objectives and will lead to the deaths of hostages, IDF soldiers, and innocent civilians. We are concerned about the erosion of the reserve force and the growing rates of non-reporting for duty, and we worry about the long-term consequences of this trend.”
“Only an agreement can bring the hostages back safely, while military pressure mainly results in the killing of hostages and endangers our soldiers,” the letter continued. “Every day that passes their lives are at risk; every additional moment of hesitation is a disgrace.”