Israeli Teen Sentenced to Prison for Refusing Military Service Amid Gaza War

Tal Mitnick, an 18-year-old activist, faces 30 days in military prison, highlighting the rare but growing dissent among Israelis against mandatory military service during the ongoing conflict.

• 18-year-old Israeli activist Tal Mitnick has been sentenced to 30 days in military prison for refusing to enlist in the Israeli army amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
• Mitnick, who is part of the Mesarvot network, a support group for those refusing to serve in the military, stated that he believes 'slaughter cannot solve slaughter' and that 'violence won’t solve violence.'
• Mitnick's sentencing comes during a period of despair for Gazans who remain subject to bombs and attacks by Israeli forces nearly 12 weeks after the war began, with over 20,000 Palestinians killed according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
• Refuseniks, or people who refuse to serve in the military, are not very common in Israel, but there has been press around previous dissent years prior to the ongoing war.
• Israeli law requires all Israeli citizens over the age of 18 that are Jewish, Druze or Circassian to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), with some exceptions.

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