As the bloody assault on Gaza continues, Israel is witnessing an unprecedented surge in petitions, letters and public statements signed by hundreds and thousands from various sectors and disciplines, all circulated widely to the public. These appeals share a single, unified demand: end the war — now, not later. The mounting pressure has pushed the government and its leader into a frenzied response, launching verbal attacks against the petitioners and demanding that the army’s leadership discharge any military personnel involved in the campaign.

For weeks, Israel has seen a snowballing movement centred around the goal of bringing the captives home and stopping the war on Gaza. It began with a petition signed by a thousand Air Force reservists, followed by members of various combat and security units, union members, lawyers, legal experts, academics and eventually, the families of fallen soldiers. The momentum shows no signs of slowing, and its final reach remains unknown.

A common message across the petitions from military units is a shared call to save lives and return the captives home without delay — even if that means an immediate end to the war in Gaza. The petitions argue that the continuation of the war serves political and personal interests, not security needs.

READ: Number of Israelis signing petitions demanding return of captives swells to 128,000

At the time of writing, over 120,000 Israelis have signed these petitions — a number........

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