In an unprecedented act of dissent, a group of 41 Israeli military intelligence officers and reservists has publicly declared their refusal to participate in combat operations in Gaza, accusing the government of issuing “clearly illegal” orders and perpetuating a “needless, eternal war.”
In a scathing letter addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, and the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the officers, members of the elite military intelligence directorate, condemned the ongoing offensive in Gaza as one waged for political gain rather than national security.
“When a government acts for ulterior motives, harms civilians, and leads to the killing of innocent people, the orders it issues are clearly illegal, and we must not obey them,” the letter reads.
The signatories, though unnamed for security reasons, are understood to include operatives from Unit 8200, the IDF’s top surveillance and cyber intelligence unit, which has played a central role in selecting bombing targets during the 20 month Gaza offensive.
Organised by the anti-war initiative Soldiers for the Hostages, the letter accuses Netanyahu’s administration of choosing war over diplomacy, particularly pointing to the collapse of a ceasefire deal in March that could have ensured the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
“The government gave a death sentence to the hostages,” the officers wrote, alleging that “many hostages have already been killed by IDF bombings” and warning that “the government continues to abandon their lives.”
Their message comes as tensions within the IDF rise, with more soldiers reportedly refusing to serve. One of the letter’s signatories, speaking anonymously to The Guardian, described the war as “unnecessary” and the government’s conduct as morally indefensible.
“All the death is unnecessary. The hostages suffer and die. Soldiers are sent for nothing. And all the killing in Gaza, everything is completely unnecessary,” they said.
Another intelligence officer, who recently refused to serve, cited the IDF’s disregard for civilian casualties in Gaza. “I felt it was immoral and insanely excessive,” they said. “They were willing to do everything to achieve a goal that wasn’t really a real goal… unless that goal is to get rid of Gaza’s population by any means.”
The letter marks a dramatic escalation from earlier dissent. In April, 250 reservists and alumni from Unit 8200 urged the government to end the war but stopped short of calling for refusal to serve. This latest statement goes further, calling on all Israelis to “do everything in their power” to oppose the war, with some officers pledging public refusal and others choosing silent resistance.
The Israeli military has not yet issued an official response to the letter.
According to Gaza health authorities, at least 55,000 people have been killed and another 125,000 wounded in the Israeli offensive since it began. The figures, which do not distinguish between civilians and militants, are believed by some observers to be significantly underreported.
Fifty-six hostages are still held in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, which killed 1,200 people in southern Israel. Israeli officials estimate that around 20 of the hostages may still be alive.
As internal criticism mounts and global scrutiny intensifies, the open rebellion of the IDF’s intelligence officers has sent shockwaves through the Israeli defense establishment, raising critical questions about the legality, morality, and political motivations behind the war in Gaza.
