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An Israeli military court has sentenced a reserve officer with the rank of captain to 25 days in prison for refusing to participate in the military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since Oct. 7, 2023.
According to a report in Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the officer, identified as Captain Ron Weiner, was handed the sentence despite completing 270 days of reserve duty since the start of the conflict. His refusal to serve in Gaza was based on his opposition to the war.
Weiner had already been sentenced to 20 days in jail last week and was briefly imprisoned.
However, due to what the court described as a "technical error" in the legal process, he was released within 24 hours, and his case was retried.
The article highlights that Captain Weiner is a prominent activist in a movement advocating for the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, even if doing so requires halting the war.
The movement argues that military pressure endangers the lives of hostages and that refusing to fight in such conditions is a reasonable and principled stance.
A statement from a group of Israeli soldiers supporting the return of hostages expressed concern that Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza are putting captives at greater risk.
The group also emphasized that avoiding combat in such a scenario is a legitimate decision.
This is not the first such case. In late May, two other Israeli soldiers were sentenced to prison by military courts for similarly refusing to take part in the Gaza offensive.
Hebrew-language outlets, including Yedioth Ahronoth, reported that earlier in May, the Israeli army began calling up tens of thousands of reserve troops in preparation for an intensified military campaign in Gaza.
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