FACTBOX: thousands of Israelis sign petitions demanding Netanyahu secure release of hostages

Thousands of Israelis, including national security professionals and civilians, have signed petitions pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of the hostages being held by the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, even if it requires ending the war.

Data collected by Anadolu found that 6,037 military, security and intelligence personnel signed 17 petitions emphasizing the urgent need to retrieve the hostages.

Additionally, 22,500 civilians endorsed 10 petitions asserting that Netanyahu is prolonging the war for personal political motives rather than security imperatives, bringing the total number of signatories to 28,537.

Netanyahu has accused military signatories of insubordination, threatening to dismiss them and alleging that foreign-funded groups are backing them to topple his coalition, which has been in power since late 2022.

He dismissed the petitioners as “a small, noisy, anarchistic and disconnected group of pensioners” and vowed to expel anyone inciting disobedience.

Dubbed “petitions of disobedience” by the media, the movement began with a petition from Air Force personnel, including active, reserve and retired members, some holding senior ranks.

Anadolu documented 17 military petitions signed by active and former personnel from diverse units including the military, the Shin Bet internal security agency and Israel's external intelligence and special operations agency Mossad. The petitions uniformly demand the return of the estimated 59 Israeli hostages in Gaza, 24 of which are believed to be still alive, urging a ceasefire if necessary.

The signatories -- addressing Netanyahu, the Knesset (parliament), the military leadership and the public -- argue that the war's stated goals—retrieving hostages and ensuring security—remain unachieved. They warn that continued fighting serves Netanyahu's “personal and political interests” rather than national security, risking the lives of hostages, soldiers and civilians.

The petitions also highlight a 30%-40% rise in reserve soldiers' absenteeism, signaling eroding morale, and stress that only a negotiated deal can secure the hostages' release.

One group of signatories from Israel's paratroopers brigade emphasized that their petition was not an act of insubordination.

“This is not a call to the army or its leadership. This is not disobedience—it's a call to save lives. History has shown that only agreements bring the hostages home,” they wrote.

Signatories from Israel's armored corps wrote: “This is not disobedience but a legitimate expression of citizens' views—none of us are currently serving in the army.”

One of the strongest statements came from former Shin Bet officers, who said messages from their peers in the Air Force, Mossad and armored corps reflect “a deep crisis of confidence in the current government.”

“The government formed after October 7, 2023 has ignored the national interest in favor of narrow coalition politics. It has lost the public's trust. Foreign elements have infiltrated the decision-making process. Expelling protesting reservists will not restore trust—it will deepen the divide,” they said.

They called on concerned citizens, business leaders and civil society groups to demand new elections and a national commission of inquiry.

1. 472 veterans from elite special operations units including Shaldag, Moran (Unit 214) and Unit 669

2. 970 active and veteran Air Force reservists

1. 150 retired naval officers

1. Over 1,500 paratrooper veterans

1. More than 170 graduates of an elite military intelligence program

1. 250 Unit 8200 reservists (military intelligence)

1. Over 1,525 infantry veterans and reservists

1. Around 100 military doctors in the reserves

1. 250 former Mossad personnel, including three former chiefs

1. 100 graduates of Israel's National Security College

1. Members of “Shin Bet Veterans for Democracy”

1. Active and former army spokesperson's unit soldiers

1. Around 250 active and former Navy commandos from Shayetet 13

1. Graduates from offensive cyber units

1. Former members of Military Intelligence Directorate's Special Operations Division

1. Around 150 soldiers from the Golani Brigade

1. 200 military doctors and nurses from various units

1. Over 7,000 signatories from the left-wing group Standing Together

1. 600 architects and urban planners

1. Hundreds of parents of reservists

1. 2,000 university faculty members

1. 500 high-tech executives and investors

1. 200 family members of hostages

1. Nearly 3,000 health care professionals, including three Nobel laureates

1. Over 6,500 academics and teachers

1. Around 1,000 parents of students

1. 1,700 artists and cultural figures

Facing mounting pressure, Netanyahu accused the petitioners of attempting to topple his government.

“These letters were written not in the name of our heroic soldiers. They were written by a small handful of fringe elements,” he said in a statement.

He claimed the signatories were being funded by foreign organizations with the goal of dismantling Israel's right-wing government.

“They are a small, noisy group of retirees who haven't served in years. Disobedience is disobedience, no matter what you call it. Anyone who incites it will be dismissed immediately,” he warned.

Although the Air Force reservists' petition made no explicit threat of insubordination, Air Force Commander Tomer Bar said signatories would not be allowed to continue serving and ordered the dismissal of active-duty reservists who signed.

The petitions follow the collapse of the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal that came into effect on Jan. 19 mediated by Qatar and Egypt with US support. Hamas adhered to the terms, but Netanyahu, facing pressure from his far-right coalition, refused to proceed to phase two, resuming military operations on March 18.

At least 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.