Jerusalem
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As the early stages of a massive attack on Gaza City are taking shape, Israel has called tens of thousands of reserves to take part in impending military operations.
The acquisition and occupation of the largest city in northern Gaza, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was one of Hamas’s last bases, would require the troops to bring in a further 60,000 reserve forces and extend the service of another 20,000 people.
The Israeli military is already located on the outskirts of Israeli Secretary of Defense Brigg, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). General Effy Defflin said Wednesday in what he described as the first step in a bigger maneuver.
When the security cabinet first approved the acquisition of Gaza city, Israeli officials estimated that the plan could take more than five months. However, on Wednesday, Netanyahu instructed the troops to shorten their timeline.
After nearly two years of war, the Israeli military chief warned of the burden added to the army, as it was not ending in the next major operation. Many of them were called multiple times to fight in Gaza. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, head of the Staff, told security guards earlier this month that the troops faced exhaustion and burnout, but his concerns were rejected as Netanyahu and his coalition partners pushed for a new war plan.
A new survey from Agam Labs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggested that around 40% of soldiers were slightly or significantly motivated, but the motivation increased just over 13%. The findings highlight the harsh reality facing Israeli forces, especially as public opinion has repeatedly shown the overwhelming majority.
Military leaders are calling for the government to serve ultra-Orthodox men. However, the vast majority of ultra-Orthodox communities have refused to serve, and the government has pushed for a wide range of exemptions from forced military service. The fact that this political debate is happening in the midst of war only surprised the rage of many of the people who serve.
After the security cabinet approved the new operation, a small Israeli reservist organization has updated its demands that soldiers reject military orders. “Your kids don’t know how to reject them themselves because it’s difficult. It’s almost impossible,” the hostage soldier told social media earlier this month. Other reserve organizations have not publicly advocated for rejection. This is likely a private decision not to serve.
The IDF does not disclose the number or percentage of reserves that do not appear when called.
Avshalom Zohar Sal has worked in Gaza for over 300 days in four different developments. His final development ended just a month ago, and he no longer wishes to return to the forefront, particularly in Gaza City
“We are a little shocked that we are still talking about this war that was supposed to end a long time ago,” Zohar Sal told CNN.
He says the suspicions he crept in a year ago are only stronger, and the rest of his squad have the same worries as him.
“I think this decision is a death sentence for hostages,” he said. “The government said they were talking about two missions for this war and they always said, to return the hostages and defeat Hamas. It’s like we’re telling us now. I don’t think we’ll achieve it. We can’t destroy Hamas.
The Israeli army has a relatively small active unit consisting mainly of conscription. Israel must resort to preventives to continue fighting what has become the longest war ever.
However, it is not clear to the percentage of people responding to a new round of calls to re-serve inside Gaza, especially after the military chief warned that the operation could put soldiers and hostages at risk.
Military spokesman Defflin tried to address these concerns on Wednesday, saying at a press conference the IDF was using “intellectuality and other abilities” to protect hostage lives. However, all he could promise was to “do our best not to harm the hostages.”
While spare call-up notifications are mandatory for many, after sending a large number of reserves to Gaza multiple times, the military shows little willingness to punish or prosecute anyone who is declining or complaining.
Former IDF chief General Dan Hartz, who led the army during the 2006 war with Lebanon, predicted that not all reserves would be in the position of duty.
“I believe some of them will be at home,” he told CNN earlier this month in a protest by the Air Force reserves. “The war was over a year ago,” Hartz said, explaining that the current plan is “no logic.” The retired general warned not to appeal to the Israelites to refuse to serve, but he encouraged the reserve to “follow his conscience and act on his set of rules.”
Netanyahu promised that the worst battle would end over a year ago. He told CBS in an interview last February that after Israel invaded Rafa in southern Gaza, “the intense phase of the battle has been weeks since completion, not weeks since completion.”
Eighteen months later, Netanyahu says the new operation is the fastest way to end Israel’s longest war.
