More than 1,500 current and former members of Israel’s armoured corps, including high-ranking generals, have signed a petition urging the Israeli government to prioritize the return of hostages held in Gaza—even if it means halting the war in the Palestinian enclave.
According to a report by the daily Maariv on Monday, 1,525 signatories from across the ranks of the armoured corps backed the appeal, calling 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.”
The petition includes a wide spectrum of signatories, ranging from tank riflemen and veteran soldiers to junior commanders and senior former military officials. Notably, it features several prominent names in Israel’s military history, such as former Prime Minister and army chief Ehud Barak, ex-Central Command Chief Amram Mitzna, former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, and former Military Intelligence Head Amos Malka. Others include former Central Command Chief Avi Mizrahi and Amnon Reshef, ex-commander of the 14th Armoured Brigade.
The appeal forms part of a growing chorus of public pressure from within Israel’s defense establishment. Over the past few days, nearly ten petitions have been circulated by soldiers and veterans calling for an end to the war in Gaza, primarily driven by demands for the hostages’ release.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded by threatening disciplinary action, including the dismissal of active-duty personnel who have signed such petitions.
The movement reflects deepening divisions within Israeli society and its military ranks over the ongoing conflict and the fate of the hostages held in Gaza since the escalation began.
