IDF reservist warns soldiers will disobey orders if ‘total victory’ over Hamas not pursued

The IDF described the video as ‘a serious violation of IDF orders and IDF values, and constitutes a suspicion of criminal offenses.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The IDF announced it was opening an investigation of a reservist who encouraged soldiers to disobey orders if the Israeli government doesn’t pursue a policy of “total victory” over Hamas.

The X video, which was reposted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair, was described by the IDF as “a serious violation of IDF orders and IDF values, and constitutes a suspicion of criminal offenses.”

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced an immediate Military Police investigation of the video.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi ordered commanders to speak to subordinates “given the severity of the incident.”

The video referenced a disagreement between Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu over the governance of Gaza on “the day after” the war.

The reservist, who is apparently speaking from a destroyed building in Gaza, declares, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the video is for you. We reservist soldiers do not intend to hand the keys over to any Palestinian authority. We do not intend to give the keys to Gaza to any entity — Hamas, Fatah or any other Arab entity.”

He added, “Reservist soldiers are behind you, and we want to win.”

Last week, Gallant called on the prime minister to make “tough decisions” regarding Israel’s exit strategy from the Gaza Strip and encouraged a policy that would allow Gaza to be governed by Palestinian entities taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors.

Gallant declared that he “will not agree to the establishment of Israeli military rule in Gaza. Israel must not establish civilian rule in Gaza.”

Netanyahu responded, “I am not willing to replace Hamastan with Fatahstan.”

He added, “So long as Hamas continues to exist, no other force will be allowed into Gaza to manage civil affairs – and especially not the Palestinian Authority.”

The reservist encouraged soldiers to follow only Netanyahu and resist Gallant’s position, even urging them to disobey orders.

He said, “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; you have 100,000 reservist soldiers that are ready to give their lives for the people of Israel. Ready to die. ”

He continued, “We lost everything, our family life, our livelihoods, and we have nowhere to go. We will stay here until the end, until the victory.”

“Yoav Gallant, you can’t win the war. Quit. You can’t win this war. You can’t command us,” the reservist added.

The reservist went so far as to declare that soldiers would stand at the border and refuse to move and that Israeli civilians would join them.

He concluded, “Think really well who you leave the keys to after this. We want victory. Our brothers and sisters did not die for nothing, weren’t raped for nothing, and were not slaughtered in their beds for nothing,”