Israel's war in Gaza swept, but opposition is growing.

Thousands of Israeli reserve personnel (from all branches of the military) have signed letters in recent weeks asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to stop fighting and focus, instead reaching a deal to restore the remaining 59 hostages held by Hamas.

Eighteen months ago, few Israelis doubted the logic of war: defeat Hamas and return to the hostages.

For many, the ceasefire in January and the subsequent return of more than 30 hostages, hopefully the war may end soon.

But those hopes were shattered after Israel broke the ceasefire and returned to the war in mid-March.

"We concluded that Israel is going to be in a very bad place," Danny Yatom, former head of spy agency Mossad, told me.

"We know that it is his own interests to make Netanyahu's interests mainly. His interests and the interests to stabilize the government are the first, not the hostages in the list of priorities."

Many of the letters signed are long-standing critics of the Prime Minister. Some people participated in anti-government protests ahead of the October 7, 2023 war broke out.

But Yatom said that was not the reason he decided to speak out.

"I signed my name and I participated in the demonstrations, not for any political reasons, but for ethnic reasons," he said.

“I’m very worried that my country will lose its path.”

The first open letter, published in early April, was signed by 1,000 Air Force reserve personnel and retirees.

"The continuation of the war did not promote its declared goals and would result in the death of hostages," they wrote.

The signatories urged the Israelis to follow their leadership and then over time, an estimated 24 hostages still considered alive in Gaza.

"Every day risks life further. Every moment of hesitation is a shame to cry."

In the weeks since then, similar letters have appeared in almost every military branch, including elite combat and intelligence units and many decorated commanders.

More than 12,000 signatures.

After October 7, thousands of Israeli bookers answered the phone, eager for service.

But now, more and more reports indicate that the attendance rate of reserves has dropped to 50-60%.

It was an imminent crisis for an army that relied heavily on reserve personnel to fight, a crisis that had never been seen since the first Lebanese war in Israel in 1982.

In a leafy Jerusalem park, I encountered "Yoav" (not his real name), an infantry reserve officer who asked not to be identified.

Yoav served in Gaza last summer but said he wouldn't do it again.

He told me: "I feel like I need to help my brothers and sisters."

"I believe I did a great job. Complex but good. But now, I don't see it the same way anymore."

Yoav said the government decided to continue fighting Hamas, and the hostages were at risk of death in the Gaza tunnel.

"We're very strong, we can beat Hamas, but it's not about defeating Hamas," he said. "It's about losing our country."

Yoav told me during his time in Gaza that he was trying to be "the best moral soldier a man can be".

Critics say the longer the war takes place, the harder it is for Israel to claim its military is the most moral in the world, like government officials.

In a recent column to the left of the central newspaper Haaretz, retired General Amiram Levin said that it is time for soldiers - starting with the senior commander - considering disobedience to orders.

“The risk of falling into war crimes is a fatal blow to the IDF and our social spirit,” he wrote, “making it impossible to stand by.”

Some critics in Israel, including those who have brought the case to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, believe that such a boundary has been crossed.

Netanyahu lashed out at protesters, treating their concerns as "propaganda lies" and posed with "a small marginal element - loud, anarchists and disconnected pensioners, most of whom have not served in service for years".

But the polls show that the letter of protest reflects a growing public belief that the release of the rest of the hostages should be before everything.

More than a year of noisy anti-war demonstrations were held in Tel Aviv, images of hostages were held high while other protesters sat on the road, shaking photos of children shaking during the war.

In the lines produced by letters, this emotional expression seems to shock the authorities.

On April 20, police briefly told protesters that “photos of children or babies from Gaza” would not be allowed and posters of the words “genocide” or “ethnic cleansing.”

The police quickly retreated after the organizer's expression of anger.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister continued to talk about his determination to defeat Hamas.

The military pressure Netanyahu continues to insist is the only way to take hostages home.