60 active reservists among 1,000 who signed letter demanding return of hostages, even if it means ending war; all 60 likely to be dismissed

By Emanuel Fabian

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10 April 2025, 8:05 pm 17 Edit

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Israeli F-35 fighter jets return to the Nevatim Airbase after carrying out an airstrike in Yemen, July 20, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

After examining a letter signed by close to 1,000 veterans of the Israeli Air Force demanding the return of the hostages in Gaza, even if it comes at the cost of ending the war against Hamas entirely, the military has found that 60 of them are active reservists.

Among the 60, only a handful are competent pilots, while the rest have been serving in headquarters roles, according to the IDF’s examination.

All 60 are likely to be dismissed from reserve duty.

The remaining 900 signatories are either IAF retirees or names that are unknown to the military.

The military also says that 40 active reservists pulled their signatures from the letter before it was published.