Israel threatens to prosecute soldiers refusing to return to Gaza

The Israeli military has reportedly warned several troopers that they will be prosecuted if they do not return to the Gaza Strip, amid growing cases of such refusals in recent months.

According to Israel's KAN public broadcaster, at least 20 Israeli soldiers from an infantry brigade have refused to return to the war in Gaza, where Palestinian fighters have put up a spirited defense against the invaders since October last year. 

Around 10 of the soldiers, the report added, have received official warnings saying they would face trial for disobeying military orders.

Some of the Israeli forces said that they are unable to return to Gaza following months of combat but nonetheless they are ready to assume other duties.

Families of the soldiers said that their relatives “are forced to conduct ground maneuvers in Gaza or face prison”.

“There are only a few soldiers left in their company who are capable of fighting... This is our time as parents to help them confront a system that does not care about them,” they noted.

The development comes at a time when the Israeli military is suffering manpower shortages.

Last month, Israeli minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant said the regime’s army needs 10,000 new soldiers immediately.

A total of 704 Israeli soldiers have been killed since October 7, 2023, including 339 in the ground battles in the Gaza Strip, according to figures by the military. 

Israeli sergeant sniped by resistance fighters in southern Gaza

The Israeli military has announced the killing of another soldier as resistance fighters press ahead with retaliatory operations amid the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, Israeli media reported that the regime underreports fatalities among its forces as a means of avoiding public backlash and preserving the morale of its soldiers.

Israel launched its Gaza onslaught after the Hamas resistance group carried out a surprise operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, almost 11 months into the onslaught, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve any of its declared objectives in the Gaza Strip despite killing at least 40,602 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 93,855 others.

Maariv: Israeli troops close to 'sinking in the mud of Gaza'

On Thursday, Israeli daily Maariv warned that the regime’s military is on the verge of “sinking in the mud of Gaza”.

“In this black August, some 15 Israeli soldiers were killed in battles in Gaza and the north (with Lebanon), and this is the price of a war of attrition,” the paper said.

“August will be remembered as one of the bloodiest months,” continued Maariv.

It further said Israel “insists on maintaining the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Passage in the name of security, and this is currently the main point of contention in the negotiations.”

For months, mediators have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But the efforts have been stalled due to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.

“In a few weeks, the seasons will change, and the rain will come. Before we sink into the quagmire, let’s take a moment … and truly consider security alternatives to close negotiations, release the hostages, and cease the fire,” Maariv said.

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