Israeli soldiers refuse to fight until Gaza ceasefire is signed

A growing number of Israeli soldiers have threatened to stop fighting against Hamas in Gaza unless their government secures a ceasefire.

Some 200 troops signed a letter claiming that the 15-month conflict crossed ethical lines and saying they would refuse to fight unless a truce was signed.

Seven soldiers who have already laid down their arms told the Associated Press that Palestinians were being indiscriminately killed and houses destroyed, despite no threat being present.

Vilk, one of the officers in the armoured corps, said that he would no longer serve after claiming he was instructed to shoot any unauthorised person in an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza.

Yuval Green, 27, another officer, said that he abandoned his post in January 2024 after seeing soldiers desecrate homes and steal Gazans’ belongings as souvenirs over a two-month period in the enclave.

While their movement is relatively small, the soldiers said it was the tip of the iceberg and that many others wanted to come forward.

The rare act of defiance against the Israeli military, which requires its troops to steer clear of politics, comes as a ceasefire and hostage release deal appears imminent following months of stalled negotiations.

A “final round” of truce talks aimed at “finalising” the last details of the proposal are expected to start on Tuesday in Qatar, a source briefed on the negotiations told AFP.

Qatar’s prime minister, the leaders of Israel’s intelligence agencies and the Middle East envoys for the incoming and outgoing US administrations are expected to attend the talks, the source said.

Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as US president on Jan 20, said on Monday evening that a ceasefire will probably be secured “by the end of the week”.

“I understand there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished and maybe by the end of the week, but it has to take place,” he told Newsmax.

Hours earlier, Joe Biden made his last foreign policy speech in office and said that Israel and Hamas were “on the brink” of signing the proposal that he “laid out in detail months ago”.

The Telegraph understands that Israel is willing to withdraw its troops from Gaza after all hostages have been released in two separate stages under the deal.

The Israel Defense Forces were contacted for comment.