Over 1,500 Israeli armoured corps troops, including generals, have signed a petition demanding the Israeli government prioritise the return of hostages held in Gaza, even if it comes at the cost of ending the war in the Palestinian enclave.
According to the daily Maariv on Monday, the petition was signed by 1,525 members of the armoured corps, ranging from riflemen to generals.
They called on the government “to do everything possible to secure the release of the hostages—even if it comes at the cost of halting the fighting”.
Signatories include soldiers who served in the tank units and later became civilians without attending officer school, veteran soldiers, junior commanders, as well as former senior Israeli military officers, including former heads of the armoured corps and division commanders, Maariv said.
The list of signatories also includes former Prime Minister and army chief Ehud Barak, former Central Command Chief Amram Mitzna, former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, former Head of Military Intelligence Amos Malka, former Central Command Chief Avi Mizrahi, and former Commander of the 14th Armoured Brigade Amnon Reshef.
The petition was part of a wider wave of public appeals from current and former Israeli military personnel demanding the return of hostages and ending the war.
Nearly ten petitions have so far been issued by soldiers demanding an end to the Gaza war since Thursday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to dismiss active-duty soldiers who signed the petitions.
