Israeli signers of petitions demanding captives' return in exchange for ending war on Gaza jump to 140,000

The number of Israelis who signed petitions demanding the return of captives from Gaza even at the cost of halting the war climbed to nearly 140,000 as of Saturday, according to the campaign, which is gaining momentum across Israeli society.

The movement, coordinated through the website Restored Israel, reflects growing frustration over the government’s military strategy and its failure to secure the release of captives.

In the past 24 hours alone, over 10,000 new signatories joined the campaign. As of early Saturday, the total number of signatures had reached 138,434, up from 128,114 on Friday. The number is expected to continue rising.

According to the platform, the number of petitions available for public signature rose from 47 on Friday to 50 by Saturday, including 21 launched by former or reserve members of the Israeli military.

Despite warnings from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, more active and former military personnel are joining the initiative.

Netanyahu had previously threatened to dismiss soldiers who speak out against the war or publicly support petitions aimed at halting the conflict.

While the majority of signatories are civilians – 127,255, according to the latest data – 11,179 military figures have also signed.

Among the civilian signatories are 73,599 Israeli citizens, 1,500 parents of active-duty soldiers, and 1,300 relatives of soldiers killed in combat.

READ: 420,000 Palestinians newly displaced in Gaza since Israel shattered ceasefire: UNRWA