JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel's air force dismissed 15 officers, including one with the rank of major general, for signing a petition that calls for ending the war in the Gaza Strip to return all hostages, according to local media on Friday.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said officers signed the petition four months ago, which called for “the end of the war in exchange for the return of all hostages” held in the Gaza Strip.

The dismissed officers petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the army’s decision and reinstate them, saying the decisions were made unlawfully, without any due process, and in severe violation of the constitutional rights of the petitioners.

“The position expressed by the reservists in favor of returning the hostages, even at the cost of ending a war that no longer serves its declared purposes, reflects a moral and ethical stance,” the discharged soldiers said in a petition to the court.

As many as 17 other reservists, who were temporarily suspended from duty over signing the anti-war petition, also appealed. Some were reinstated after agreeing to remove their signatures.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the media report.

Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, when Hamas attacked and also took over 200 Israelis as captives. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages and starvation deaths.

According to Israeli estimates, around 50 captives remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive.

Israel, meanwhile, is holding more than 10,800 Palestinians in its prisons under dire conditions, with rights groups reporting deaths due to torture, hunger, and medical neglect.