Israel occupation army to punish soldiers who refuse to serve

The Israeli occupation army is planning to impose prison sentences on soldiers who refuse to comply with regular and reserve service following the end of the attack launched on the Gaza Strip on 7 October.

Israel’s Army Radio asserted: “After the war, the occupation military prosecution intends to intensify the punishment for deserters from regular service and in the reserve.”

“Demands will be made to issue long prison sentences, up to several months, to those who refuse to observe military service of up to several months, in addition to reducing their military rank,” it added.

The radio station did not address the number of soldiers refusing to report for military service or the reasons for their refusal.

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It quoted the Military Defence Department as telling soldiers who refused to serve to: “Contact your units urgently before a harsher punishment policy comes into effect.”

It added: “The Military Defence Department managed to convince the Israeli army to give another chance to those who did not report for service.”

The Israeli occupation army announced that it had summoned about 360,000 reserve soldiers to participate in the ongoing attack on the Gaza Strip.

Many soldiers usually refuse to participate in war for “conscientious reasons”.

Observers link the failure of many Israeli soldiers to participate to the ongoing attack in Gaza, which claimed the lives of dozens of soldiers, especially in the ground battles that began on 27 October.

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