Israeli troops won’t risk lives unless hostages return, IDF reserves general warns

Cnaan Lidor is The Times of Israel's Jewish World reporter

Israelis attend a rally calling for the release of Israelis held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza at 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, February 24, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)
Israelis attend a rally calling for the release of Israelis held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza at 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, February 24, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)

Israeli soldiers won’t risk their lives on the battlefield unless the hostages being held in Gaza are retrieved, Amiram Levin, a major general in the reserves, says in an unusual speech to thousands of people gathered on Saturday night at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.

Levin, a former commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ Northern Command and deputy head of the Mossad, delivers this message in a speech urging the return of 134 hostages believed to be held in Gaza.

“Sadly, we are facing a period of war, maybe serious ones, and we’ll need a strong army and thousands of fighters willing to risk their lives on the battlefield, but without a moral victory, it won’t happen,” says Levin, who adds that his definition of a moral victory is “leaving no wounded and no hostages behind.”

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