Israeli media have revealed that the desire of Israeli reservists to return to service and participate in Tel Aviv's war of extermination against the Palestinian people in Gaza is diminishing, due to political and legal reasons.
This was reported in an article published this Friday by the newspaper Haaretz, which said the army was warning of a growing crisis in the reserve forces, due to plans to escalate the fighting in Gaza, including the call-up of tens of thousands of reservists.
The newspaper added that following Israel's decision to violate the ceasefire and the prisoner agreement, as well as to resume fighting, the army noted a decline in the enthusiasm of reservists.
It has been reported that over the past two weeks, many reservists have informed their commanders that they will not return to duty if recalled.
According to the newspaper, this situation stems from the Israeli government's decision to dismiss Shin Bet (Internal Security Service) chief Ronen Bar, to change the composition of the judicial selection committee, and its intention to dismiss government legal adviser Gali Baharav-Miara. The reservists also expressed concern about the government's indifference to the Supreme Court's decisions.
However, according to the newspaper, the reservists cite "health, financial or family" reasons.
The newspaper reported warnings from senior reserve officials about the declining reserve service membership rate, which has fallen by 50 percent.
He also cited an unnamed senior reserve official as saying that brigade and battalion commanders were handling dozens of cases where reservists had announced their refusal to join the service. According to him, the main reason for this refusal was the violation of the prisoner exchange agreement and the ceasefire in Gaza, and the second most frequently cited reason was the exemption law for the ultra-Orthodox and pressure for a judicial overthrow.
He added that the continuation of these circumstances could prevent many military units in the army from reaching the strength levels necessary for combat.
According to the newspaper, officers and commanders in key combat positions, as well as in intelligence and fire service headquarters, were among the reservists who had already announced they were ceasing to volunteer.
An elite reserve unit also recently announced that it would not be joining the military during the mobilization period expected in a few weeks.
The newspaper reported that one unnamed reservist said the drop in enlistment was not only for political reasons, "but also because the soldiers are tired after months of war."
Israeli law provides for a fine, imprisonment, or dismissal of a soldier who refuses to answer the call to duty.
However, the newspaper noted that the army recognizes that it is impossible to discharge hundreds of reservists and that it is unrealistic to imprison or fine them after 18 months of fighting, during which their lives were at stake.
The newspaper added that the army believes unit commanders will receive messages in the coming days and weeks indicating that some reservists will not report for duty, especially with the intensification of fighting in Gaza and the need for a large-scale call-up of reservists. It was also mentioned that the IDF currently has no solution.
The newspaper went on to quote a senior military official as saying that many parents were pressuring young soldiers to go to rear areas during the battle.
On March 18, the occupation resumed its war of extermination in Gaza, which had left 855 martyrs and 1869 wounded as of Thursday morning, the majority of whom were children and women, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
With full American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 164 Palestinians martyred and wounded, mainly children and women, and more than 000 missing.
