‘The Blood of Our Sons Should Not Be Wasted’: IDF Mothers Gather Outside Military HQ, Urge Israel to Resist US Pressure

More than 100 parents of Israeli soldiers currently fighting in Gaza against Hamas gathered outside the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Tel Aviv over the weekend to protest what they described as the government caving to American pressure at the expense of their children’s safety.

“It is a right for us to fight; we are behind the commanders until victory,” said one mother, Tamar Amar, who has three sons fighting in Gaza, including one who was injured. “As mothers, we want to be sure that no foreign consideration and no non-Jewish morality interferes. The lives of our soldiers come first.”

Another mother, Sima Hasson, called out what she characterized as the Israeli government’s recent acquiescence to the US pushing Jerusalem to try to limit civilian casualties, leading the IDF to conduct fewer aerial bombings prior to sending in ground troops for an operation.

“Buildings stand and soldiers fall. Buildings fall and soldiers stand … the blood of our sons should not be wasted,” Hasson said. “Every fighter who is currently in Gaza is with all his heart and soul … They must not be put at risk for nothing. We as parents demand not to give into US pressure.”

Hasson also criticized the decision to allow aid such as fuel into Gaza, saying it “goes to the enemy and endangers the soldiers who fight day and night.”

Several press reports, citing Arab and Western officials, have corroborated Israeli claims that Hamas has been hoarding hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel for rockets and electricity used to power its network of underground tunnels as Gaza hospitals struggle to maintain power.

Nonetheless, Israel has, in response to Western pressure, eased its blockade on Gaza since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israeli communities, allowing in certain humanitarian aid.

One mother of five soldiers currently fighting in Gaza told the crowd in Tel Aviv through tears that “it is either us or them,” seemingly referring to Israel and the Hamas terror group, which rules the neighboring Palestinian enclave. She added she was shocked by the “great pressure being exerted by the US and Europe to destroy fewer buildings. I am crying from here. Enough of the weakness of spirit and submission to [US President Joe] Biden’s dictates. Enough of the supply of fuel and food to the enemy that endangers my sons.”

Top US officials have recently been pushing Israel to scale down its military offensive of air strikes and ground operations in Gaza and focus more on precise targeting of Hamas leaders.

Despite expressing concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza, the US has vetoed calls for a ceasefire at the United Nations and sent munitions to Israel. After talks with Israeli officials on Monday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “This is Israel’s operation. I’m not here to dictate timelines or terms.”

Critics of a ceasefire, including Israeli officials, have argued it would allow Hamas to regroup and recover while the Palestinian terror group is on its heels.

Hamas launched the current war with its Oct. 7 invasion, in which Palestinian terrorists rampaged across southern Israel, murdering 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 240 others as hostages to Gaza.

Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza claim about 20,000 people have been killed in the enclave during Israel’s ensuing military offensive. However, experts have cast doubt on the reliability of casualty figures coming out of Gaza, whose health ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths or note when deaths are caused by errant Palestinian rocket fire. The IDF says it has killed more than 8,000 terrorists in its current campaign.

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