15 more Israeli soldiers refuse to serve until Gaza swap deal reached

Fifteen more Israeli soldiers have refused to serve in the army until a prisoner exchange deal is reached with Palestinians, according to Israeli media on Wednesday.

Walla news portal said the new soldiers joined a total of 138 soldiers, who signed a letter declaring their refusal to serve without a deal.

The letter was sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, army chief Herzi Halevi and other Israeli government officials.

"The war in Gaza sentences our brothers and sisters and the hostages to death,” the letter reads.

Israel estimates that some 101 captives are still held by the Hamas group in Gaza, some of whom are believed to have been already killed by Israeli ongoing and indiscriminate airstrikes across the tiny enclave.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed over Netanyahu's refusal to end the war.

The Israeli army has continued a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,700 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 100,300 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has displaced almost the territory's entire population amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.