The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz reported that approximately 3,500 academics in Israel joined the message of the Air Force reserve soldiers, signing a petition demanding the return of the prisoners and an end to the war.
The academics wrote in the petition: "We, faculty members of higher education institutions, join the call of the Air Force soldiers and demand the immediate return of the abductees to their homes, even if it means ending the war immediately."
They added, "The war primarily serves political and personal interests, and its continuation will lead to the deaths of kidnapped soldiers, innocent civilians, and the depletion of reserve soldiers." They continued, "As has been proven in the past, only an agreement can return the kidnapped soldiers to Israel safely."
In the same context, more than 3,000 teachers signed a similar petition, emphasizing that "this is not a call to refuse military service, but rather a call to save lives." They added, "A political agreement is the only way to save lives, and every moment that passes without an agreement increases the risk to the lives of the abductees."
Nearly 1,000 parents signed a letter that read: "For the sake of our children's future, we will not agree to raise them in the midst of eternal war, and we will not turn a blind eye to the killing of children." They continued: "We will not cooperate with the dangerous idea that there are no innocents in Gaza, we will not participate in abandoning the kidnapped, and we will not accept the dehumanization of others."
Earlier on Monday, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz joined a petition calling for the return of prisoners held by Palestinian factions, even at the expense of ending the war on Gaza. The petition was signed by 1,525 armored corps soldiers.
On Monday, the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth revealed that more than 1,600 veterans of the Paratroopers and Infantry Brigades signed a letter calling for the return of all prisoners, even if it means ending the war.
Also on Monday, approximately 170 graduates of the Military Intelligence Talpiot program signed a letter demanding the release of prisoners by ending the war, without calling for refusal to serve in the reserves.
According to the Israeli Army Radio, the message stated: "The call to rescue civilian and military hostages is a fundamental moral duty within the system of values upon which we were raised and by which we served."
The graduates added, "We condemn attempts to silence the voices and opinions of our colleagues who contribute and serve in the military," and continued, "At this time, war primarily serves political and personal interests rather than security needs," a sentiment echoed by signatories of similar letters.
This comes as calls for the return of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza, even at the expense of ending the war, gain momentum among the Israeli army's reserve forces, posing a challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir.
On April 11, approximately 1,000 reservists and retired Israeli Air Force soldiers signed a letter calling for a ceasefire to free prisoners in Gaza. They were followed by 150 former naval officers and dozens of armored personnel.
On April 12, they were joined by approximately 100 military doctors from the Israeli reserve forces, hundreds of reservists from the Israeli intelligence unit 8200, and 2,000 faculty members from Israeli institutions of higher education.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to characterize the move as a "refusal" to serve in the Israeli military, but the signatories were quick to deny this, all stressing that "this war at this time primarily serves political and personal interests, not security interests," accusing Netanyahu of trying to prolong the war for personal reasons.
Israel has mobilized approximately 360,000 reserve soldiers to participate in the war since it was launched on October 7, 2023.
Since Thursday, petitions demanding the return of the captives have been in circulation, even if the cost is to halt the war on Gaza. These petitions are from Israeli military personnel, ranging from reserve forces who can be called up for service to retirees, including former senior leaders.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu and his government ministers vowed to expel those who signed these petitions, considering them to "strengthen enemies in times of war," describing them as "rebellion" and "disobedience."
Tel Aviv estimates that there are 59 Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip, 24 of whom are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,500 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.