An Israeli reserve officer has raised concerns over what he described as a growing moral decline among soldiers, citing increased fear and heightened tensions as Israel’s war on Gaza continues.
In a letter published by Haaretz, the officer, who did not reveal his identity, claimed that soldiers are increasingly quick to use force in the current environment.
“Now, everything is permitted, and we have light fingers – too light – on the trigger,” the Israeli officer said in the letter.
The officer said he did not want to focus on the physical and psychological impact of repeated reserve deployments, although he stressed that those issues also require greater attention.
“I don’t want to write about the hardship of repeated reserve duty or about the damage it does to one’s body and soul, even though these important topics should be discussed more often,” the officer said.
“Rather, I want to discuss values, a problem I’m regrettably contending with as I witness a moral deterioration playing out within the army. Morality is the essence of our human nature and of our link to the divine.”
Identifying himself as a commander of a reserve unit operating in Gaza, the officer described the military campaign as a prolonged conflict with no clear endpoint.
The army is engaged in “an ongoing battle of trench warfare that is never satiated,” he said.
“The objective of our mission is no longer clear, not even defined, leaving us no criteria with which to measure success,” the officer said.
He added that the defensive nature of the mission, combined with constant fears of surprise attacks, has created difficult ethical challenges for soldiers.
“Because we are on a defensive mission, there is a high state of alert and fear of an enemy that might catch us by surprise. This mindset leads to many moral dilemmas.”
The officer said the state of heightened alert following the October 7 attacks has contributed to instances where soldiers opened fire on Palestinians approaching their positions.
“Sometimes the shooting is justified, sometimes less so. In any event, opening fire happens because the individual soldier on the front line feels threatened or insecure,” he said.
He noted that battlefield conditions, including exhaustion and frustration, can intensify soldiers’ perceptions of danger.
“The blazing sun, the fatigue and the futility augment these feelings even when they are baseless. Even if it’s easy to judge them harshly while sitting in an air-conditioned office at the headquarters in Tel Aviv, one must recognise that these feelings exist.”
The officer also acknowledged the emotional consequences of repeated exposure to deadly violence, saying that the deaths of large numbers of unarmed people have affected soldiers personally.
“It’s taking a toll on me,” he said.
Since October 2023, the war in Gaza has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and widespread destruction across the territory, according to Gaza health authorities.
“The unrestricted rules of engagement guarantee that no Gazan will reach the border fence, but they’re taking an increasing toll on us, on our values and on our mental state,” the officer said.
