From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Hundreds of ex-soldiers, bereaved families, join call for prioritization of hostage deal
Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
Hundreds of former IDF soldiers, including senior officers and bereaved families of fallen soldiers, join calls on the government to prioritize a hostage deal — even if it means ending the war in Gaza, according to a Ynet news report.
A letter signed by 458 former members of the Golani Brigade urges the immediate return of the hostages, even at the expense of the cessation of fighting.
Signatories include former IDF Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. (res.) Uri Sagi, former Central Command head Maj. Gen. (res.) Ilan Biran, and Maayan and Ron Kehati, whose son Sgt. Gur Kehati was killed in Lebanon in November.
Another letter, signed by 315 former members of reconnaissance and infantry units, states: “This is the top-priority mission, these are the values that guide us, and this is our moral duty as a nation. This is a call to save lives.”
Most of the signatories are not currently serving in the reserves, Ynet notes.
The Times of Israel Community.