About 130 commanders and reserve officers, from the rank of lieutenant colonel to colonel, who actively participated in the war against Hamas in Gaza signed a letter to the War Cabinet and the Chief of Staff.
In their letter, the officers demanded to prevent the return of citizens who lived in northern Gaza to their homes until all the hostages held by Hamas are released.
"We mobilized about 100 days ago and fought in all directions for the benefit of the goals you set for us, the release of the hostages the destruction of the Hamas organization. We would like to express our appreciation for the manner in which the campaign is being managed and led by the worthiest of commanders," the officers began their letter.
They moved on to describe their concern for the near future: "In recent days, the IDF began to release reserve brigades, and the questions immediately float and arise in our minds: did we live up to the mission for which we were mobilized, and how do the significant achievements we achieved on the battlefield translate into achievements at the strategic level? To our great regret, the obvious answer is that the IDF and the Israeli government are unable to translate the hard-earned victories at the tactical level into a clear and overwhelming victory at the systemic and strategic level."
According to them, "We must make sure that the only achievement that has been achieved in the campaign up to the current stage is not lost, and that is the achievement on the ground. We evacuated, in an unprecedented step, most of the population of Gaza City and created operational control over large parts of the city. We must preserve this achievement for the sake of continuing the fighting, first and foremost, we must complete the task of evacuating the population from the fighting zone in the north of Gaza, and then we must ensure a complete blockade of the corridor at the base of the Gaza River, above and below ground."
In their opinion, Israel should not allow the residents of Gaza to return to their homes before the hostages are released: "It's such a simple and obvious equation. There is no reason for Ahmed to return to his home in Gaza before Ziv and Gali return to their homes in Kfar Aza."
They ask the cabinet to act to make sure that "the IDF completes the work of evacuating the residents from Gaza City, does not allow humanitarian supplies and the operation of hospitals inside Gaza City, and makes sure that the residents do not return to their homes until the hostages are released."
"It is permissible, after the inquiries we conducted, according to international law, to impose a blockade on a certain area, provided that the citizens who are there are allowed evacuation corridors. This is true morally, militarily, and politically and according to international law. We announce in a clear and strong voice: 'We won’t return until we win.' The current war must not end with a terrible feeling of bitterness and awaiting the next round."