War on Gaza: Suspected Israeli reservist threatens mutiny
A suspected Israeli reservist has threatened mutiny if the war on Gaza ends before "complete victory", saying he wants to annihilate Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
The masked soldier, who has not been identified, said in a video posted on Friday he will not obey orders by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
He said he and "100,000 reservists" reject plans to hand Gaza back to Palestinians, including the Palestinian Authority, Hamas or another "Arab entity".
"Yoav Gallant, you can't win the war. Resign. You can't win this war. You can't command us," the suspected reservist said in the video.
"I am telling you, Mr Yoav Gallant, if we do not continue until victory, 100,000 reservists will remain on the fence and we will call residents of the State of Israel to come to Gaza under our protection," he added, referring to the boundary fence between Israel and Gaza.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
The Israeli military has opened an investigation into the video, saying the behaviour in it was a "serious violation" of army orders and values and constitutes a suspected criminal offence, according to Israeli media.
An "immediate command meeting" has also been convened by the chief of staff, a military spokesperson told Haaretz.
The Israeli newspaper said the military did not confirm whether the man in the video was a soldier.
However, the man was dressed in an Israeli military uniform and appeared to speak from an abandoned building inside the Gaza Strip, according to the Times of Israel.
A video has circulated on Israeli social media featuring a soldier who recorded an announcement backing Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. In the recording, the soldier warned of a military coup if Gallant didn't continue the war. pic.twitter.com/KT4BYjRhut
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) May 25, 2024
The video was addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and it came after Gallant clashed with him over the so-called "post-war plan" in Gaza.
Earlier this month, Gallant publicly rejected open-ended Israeli governance over Gaza, demanding civilian affairs be handled by a Palestinian body.
'No one will stay alive, whoever hurt the people of Israel... we want to annihilate them'
- Suspected Israeli reservist
Netanyahu has rejected giving the Palestine Authority a role in Gaza, raising concern over his lack of post-war planning.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this video is intended for you, we are reserve soldiers who do not intend on passing the keys of Gaza to any entity; be it Hamas, PLO [Palestine Liberation Organisation] or any other Arab entity," the soldier said in the video.
"The reserve soldiers are behind your back, and we want to win. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You have 100,000 soldiers that are ready to give their souls to the People of Israel ... We will stay here until the end, until victory."
The soldier went on to say they would take orders only from Netanyahu, not Gallant or the chief of staff.
"So think very wisely to whom you are intending to pass the keys [of Gaza] afterwards," he said, addressing Netanyahu.
He then added that soldiers want to "tear to pieces whoever is left here".
"Whoever celebrated when we were slaughtered, all those little kids that stepped on our soldiers and brothers heads when they stepped foot on Gaza's soil, all those people, we want to kill," he said.
"No one will stay alive, whoever hurt the people of Israel, whoever hurt our brothers, the Jews, the Druze, the Bedouins, we want to annihilate them.
"You [Gallant] wanted a military coup? So I'm telling you, we are reservists who cannot go home - we'll show you what surrender and victory are, and we'll show you how real Jews win."
The video, published by far-right journalist Yinon Magal, was shared by Netanyahu's son, Yair Netanyahu, which drew condemnation.
According to Haaretz, the remarks in the video, along with Yair Netanyahu's distribution of it, may amount to sedition, which is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
