According to a report in Washington Post, some 50 Israeli Army reservists have refused to serve, regretting that entire military gets implicated in oppressing Palestinians.
In an online petition, the ex soldiers of Israeli Army posted, “We found that troops who operate in the occupied territories aren’t the only ones enforcing the mechanisms of control over Palestinian lives. In truth, the entire military is implicated. For that reason, we now refuse to participate in our reserve duties, and we support all those who resist being called to service”.
Israel says Hamas fired a barrage of rockets towards central Israel with rocket sirens and blasts beingheard in Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, UN Chief Ban Ki-moon has expressed alarm at the reports that rockets were kept at a UN-run school in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields and using public places like hospitals, mosques, schools and homes to fire rockets.
As the UN Human Rights Council yesterday backed a resolution drafted by Palestine, supporting calls to hold Israel accountable, Israel mocked it as a “travesty” calling the UNHRC as a ‘kangaroo court’.
“This investigation by a kangaroo court is a foregone conclusion,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is back in Cairo after a mediocre day in Israel, condoled the death of two Israeli soldiers in Gaza, who were US citizens, calling it a ‘heartbreaking reminder of close bond with Israel’.
Even as diplomatic push for a ceasefire intensified recently with John Kerry back in Cairo for talks, an Israeli minister doused hopes of an immediate truce in sight, saying that he Army will continue destroying Hamas tunnels even if it stops strikes as a part of humanitarian truce.
“I do not expect a ceasefire in the coming days where the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) would leave,” Science Minister Yaakov Peri told an Israeli news portal.
“Even if there is a humanitarian truce, we would continue tackling the tunnels,” he said. “I can say authoritatively that two or three days will not be enough to finish tackling the tunnels.”
