Golani Brigade veterans join petitions demanding end to Gaza aggression

A growing number of 'Israeli' military veterans, including those from elite units such as Talpiot, Golani, and the Paratroopers Brigade, are calling on the government to halt the war on Gaza to secure the release of captives.

This increasing dissent is adding significant pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet.

On Monday, around 170 graduates of 'Israel's' prestigious Talpiot military intelligence program signed a letter urging the immediate release of captives held in Gaza. The letter stated that continuing the war serves political agendas rather than national security interests.

“The continuation of the war does not contribute to any of its stated goals,” the Talpiot letter reads, warning that prolonging the conflict will only risk more deaths among hostages, 'Israeli' soldiers, and innocent civilians. The signatories clarified that they were not calling for reservists to refuse service, but rather for a reassessment of the government's war strategy.

The Talpiot petition was one of several submitted on Monday, part of a broader surge of public appeals from both military and civilian sectors urging an end to the war.

According to 'Israel' Army Radio, around 150 former soldiers from the Golani Brigade, an elite combat unit that has participated in nearly every 'Israeli' war, also signed a petition calling for the release of captives by ending the war immediately. These soldiers echoed a previous statement issued by 'Israeli' Air Force pilots on April 9.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz added their names to another petition signed by 1,525 soldiers from the Armored Corps. The letter also urged the government to prioritize the return of captives over continuing military operations in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth a Hebrew media outlet reported that more than 1,600 veterans from the Paratroopers and Infantry Brigades issued a separate letter urging swift action from the government, even if it means stopping the war.

This wave of military dissent reflects a broader public shift. On Monday alone, over 9,500 'Israeli' academics, educators, medical professionals, and parents signed petitions demanding an end to the war and the safe return of captives.

One petition, signed by 3,500 university faculty members, condemned the war as serving "political and personal interests," warning that it would result in more deaths and further strain 'Israel’s' reserve forces. More than 3,000 teachers signed a similar petition, emphasizing that it was a plea to save lives, not a call for draft evasion.

Around 1,000 parents also joined the movement, stating: “We refuse to raise our children in an endless war... We reject the dangerous notion that there are no innocents in Gaza. We refuse to abandon the hostages or dehumanize others.”

A separate petition, signed by nearly 3,000 'Israeli' medical professionals, including three Nobel laureates, also called for an end to the war as the only way to secure the release of the captives.

Despite the mounting pressure, Prime Minister Netanyahu has dismissed the growing movement, threatening to dismiss any active-duty soldiers who sign such petitions. He and his ministers have characterized the dissent as a threat to 'Israel’s' wartime morale and standing.