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Israeli Reservists and Mothers Publicly Refuse Gaza Call-Ups

Public refusals signal rising pressure on Netanyahu over hostage risks, war fatigue, stalled diplomacy.

FILE - Israeli combat reservists take position during training in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
FILE - Relatives and supporters of Israeli soldier Daniel Yahalom, who was jailed for refusing to fight in Gaza, call for an end to the war outside the Beit Lid military base in central Israel on May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean, File)
FILE - People take part in a protest demanding the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas and calling for the end to the war in Gaza, in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
FILE - Max Kresch, an army reserve medic who has joined a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the conflict in Gaza and refusing to continue fighting, poses for a portrait in Jerusalem on Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

Overview

  • Israel has called up roughly 60,000 reservists for operations in Gaza City as refusal campaigns gain visibility.
  • Soldiers for Hostages reports over 360 soldiers declining to serve, while SOS says it speaks for nearly 1,000 mothers.
  • The military cites no figures on absences, says it evaluates each case, and reports no operational disruption so far.
  • At least three members of the Soldiers for Hostages cohort have been jailed this year for refusal, according to the group.
  • Mass protests and recent polling favoring a hostage-for-ceasefire deal reflect wider discontent, alongside reports of 48 remaining hostages and heavy casualties on both sides.