No, I am not referring to the fact that Israeli soldiers have impaired empathy and remorse, with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits… though that’s probably true as well, as we know from photos and videos shot by Israeli soldiers themselves, showing them laughing and smiling after launching grenades on Palestinian refugees’ tents, playing with the toys of Palestinians children or mocking Palestinian women wearing their underwear and dresses.
Last Sunday, 18th May 2025, Al Mayadeen published an article covering a Haaretz report [it could be this one - paywalled] according to which the IDF (Israel “Defense” Forces) is grappling with such a growing manpower shortage that it has to recall soldiers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even though they are still under treatment!
An Israeli commander was quoted as saying:
Because our soldiers are not committed to fighting, we are forced to recruit individuals who are not in a stable mental state.
We fight with what we have, even if we are certain their psychological conditions are unstable.
Psychological problems for Israeli soldiers are so severe that the number of suicides keeps increasing, having reached 35 at the end of 2024, after more than one year of “war” in Gaza (the correct word is actually “genocide” of Palestinians); as for this year, the Israeli military is refusing to publish the actual number of suicides recorded so far - it must be quite high! Al Mayadeen also reported that…
Informed sources noted that the military has buried several soldiers who died by suicide without holding military funerals or issuing official statements.
This is probably done to hide the truth to the public. A sort of “military gag order”.
What is more shocking is the number of soldiers psychologically disabled classified by the Israeli Ministry of Security: ~9,000 since 7th October 2023!
According to separate Haaretz report cited by Al Mayadeen, the IDF “has refrained from issuing call-up orders to reservists who have declared their refusal to participate in combat, out of concern that they would not comply with military instructions”. In fact, military officers quoted by Haaretz said that the official 80% rate of compliance among reservists does not correspond to reality and is actually lower, while security sources noted that the IDF “needs to increase its troop numbers fourfold in order to control key points in the Gaza Strip, amid mounting security challenges”.
One wonders how Israel is going to complete the ongoing “Gideon's Chariots” operation, which aims to control the whole Gaza Strip, if these are the conditions of Israeli army and soldiers. Surely the Axis of Resistance can and maybe is already taking advantage of this situation to destroy the Israeli army! After all, how long can the Israeli army go on like this, if reserves refuse to re-enlist or to participate in combat and if more and more soldiers die in combat, suicide, are critically wounded or suffer PTSD? Either they speed up their military operations in Gaza or they will face defeat!
Probably this is the reason why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu keeps one foot in both camps, i.e. why he keeps the door open to negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage deal… just in case things take a turn for the worse!
It may also explain why, all of a sudden, on Sunday evening Netanyahu ceded to international pressure and opted for a “limited and immediate entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip” and without consulting the Security Cabinet, which could have voted against his decision, considering that it is dominated by far-right Zionists, as reported by Al Mayadeen. According to Israeli media cited by Lebanese news media outlet, the Security Cabinet was adjourned only after Netanyahu’s decision, which, of course, was criticized by extremists such as Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who abruptly exited the meeting, whereas National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demanded a vote, promptly rejected with a rebuke by the National Security Council head, Tzachi Hanegbi:
You are rebelling!
It looks like they were fighting against each other again, as usual!
However, a Maariv report cited by an Al Mayadeen article published this evening clarifies what happened: Netanyahu and his extremist Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, made a deal: humanitarian aid into Gaza in exchange for new settlements in the West Bank! It is worth mentioning that, back in April, Smotrich threatened to leave the government if aid was allowed to enter Gaza:
If even a single grain of humanitarian aid reaches Hamas, I'll leave the government and the cabinet. I told the Prime Minister: I'll never agree to this, over my dead body. I have a guilty conscience, it pains me that I didn't overturn the table a year and a half ago.
In any case, the humanitarian aid that Netanyahu is allowing into Gaza is very limited: only 9 aid trucks were granted entry yesterday, Monday 19th May 2025, according to the United Nations, though the aid has not been distributed yet, as per The Guardian! This is just a drop in the ocean intended to try and tame international pressure against him, especially considering that he is not stopping the ongoing “Gideon’s Chariots” military operation, which actually has even intensified, as reported in this article by Al Mayadeen, which quotes the following comments by Senior Hamas official Taher el-Nounou on the ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Israel (emphasis mine):
With each round of negotiations, the occupation [Israel] intentionally escalates its massacres to raise the death toll and achieve bargaining gains.
We will never accept an agreement with the Israeli occupation that is divided into multiple stages. The only acceptable outcome for Hamas is a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal in return for a complete end to the war and the withdrawal of the occupation forces.
Netanyahu will be remembered as the greatest criminal in human history.
If the Americans truly want progress, they possess the tools to pressure the occupation.
The Palestinian people alone have the right to decide who governs Palestine.
As aforementioned, international is mounting against Netanyahu, also for his escalation of violence in Gaza. In fact, as per Al Mayadeen, even UK, France and Canada yesterday issued a joint statement condemning the “egregious actions” of the IDF in Gaza. However, I am pretty sure that, despite their threats of taking “further action, including targeted sanctions” against Israel, they will do nothing concrete as they have been doing nothing to protect innocent Palestinian civilians since 7th October 2023. In fact, today the British Foreign Minister David Lammy has announced that… (emphasis mine)
We cannot stand by in the face of this new deterioration. It is incompatible with the principles that underpin our bilateral relationship. Frankly, it's an affront to the values of the British people.
Therefore, today, I'm announcing that we have suspended negotiations with this Israeli government on a new free trade agreement.
…as quoted by Al Mayadeen. Re-read the emphasized part again. Mind that they are not suspending trade with Israel - that would be a serious blow! - no, they are just suspending “negotiations with this Israeli government on a new free trade agreement”. That’s nothing for the Zionist government (regardless of what Netanyahu and his ilk say!) which has been killing tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, since 7th October 2023! It’s just PR (Public Relations)… actually, a scam: they are just try to gull the British public! Suspending negotiations on a new free trade agreement and imposing sanctions on just a few Israeli ministers and some settlers is just tickling the Zionist entity, not delivering punches to try and stop the genocide of Palestinians!
The EU is also about to review trade relations with Israel, according to The Guardian… of course, with their usual slow pace, because… hey, who cares about starving children, right?!
What the Western governments are doing now is too little and too late! Even if they finally unleash severe sanctions against Israel (I doubt it!) and manage to stop the genocide (I hope so!), their complicity and their sins will not be washed away so easily!
Meanwhile, families of Israeli captives held by Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza accused Netanyahu of dragging Israel into a pointless political war that “will lead to the death of captives and soldiers”, calling for a ceasefire agreement and the release of all captives. A statement issued by the families’ committee, cited by Al Mayadeen, reads as follows:
Netanyahu is serving an extremist minority, and the continuation of the war will kill the remaining captives. Military pressure will not bring them back, it will kill them.
We must end the war in Gaza just as we did in Lebanon and bring the captives home.
…and urges US President Donald J. Trump to…
put an end to Netanyahu’s actions and set a clear framework with Hamas to end the war.
It is also worth reporting that now more and more Israeli people are holding pictures of innocent children killed by the IDF in Gaza, as shown in the photo below from this tweet by Iris Leal:
Let’s hope that sanity finally prevails over psychopathy in Israel!
Let’s now switch side, to say so, and move to the Axis of Resistance, starting with Yemen and the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), which targeted the Ben Gurion Airport in Yaffa (Tel Aviv - Israel) with a Yaffa drone in the early morning of Saturday 17th May 2025 and then with two ballistic missiles, a Palestine 2 and a Zulfiqar, in the early morning of Sunday, as per Saba and Al Mayadeen (1 and 2).
And apparently things are going to get hotter for the Zionists in Israel! In fact, as reported by Al Mayadeen, last Sunday a senior Yemeni official warned international airlines against resuming flights to Ben Gurion Airport, telling them to…
change their destinations and pay close attention to the warnings from the Yemeni army.
…as the trajectory of Yemeni missiles and drones toward Ben Gurion Airport and across the Israeli airspace is “a steady and intensifying course”.
In addition to the above, yesterday YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced the enforcing of a naval blockade on the seaport of Haifa, as reported by Saba and Al Mayadeen (from its Short News - emphasis mine):
We have decided to begin enforcing a naval blockade on the Port of Haifa, which is now among our list of designated targets.
Our decisions and operations against the occupying entity will not cease until the aggression on Gaza ends and the blockade on it is lifted.
The imposition of a blockade on the Port of Haifa comes in response to the enemy’s escalation of its brutal aggression against Gaza and the continued siege and starvation.
Moving to Iran, its Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, rebuked the Outlaw US Empire for its inconsistent policy towards Iran. Here is what he said yesterday, as reported by Al Mayadeen (in its Short News - see also this article):
Hearing contradictory positions in each round of talks will only prolong negotiations and erode trust.
We are engaging in talks while still facing a history of US pressure, including ongoing sanctions and threats.
Under such circumstances, we do not expect an atmosphere of mutual trust during the talks.
We can't reach any real outcome in the talks if the positions keep changing and contradicting each other.
US' insistence on completely halting Iran’s uranium enrichment raises questions about their true intentions.
Iran considers its neighbors highly important, with regional security remaining a strategic priority.
We believe that a strong region consists of strong, reconciled, and united countries; based on this, we extend our hand to all our neighbors.
It is clear to any observer that US lawmakers are increasingly influenced by factions opposed to diplomacy.
The core of these factions is the Israeli occupation entity, which seeks to keep the region in a state of continuous war.
If Iran is hoping to get a consistent foreign policy from Donald Trump… good luck with that!
The Iranian Supreme leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, also lashed out against Western officials for their hypocrisy on human rights during a meeting with the families of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and of the other martyrs who died in a mysterious helicopter crash on 19th May 2024 (see my article from last year). Here are some highlights from his speech as reported on Khamenei.ir (see also this Al Maydeen article - all emphasis mine):
Martyr Raisi was a complete embodiment of the characteristics of an official in a divine government. With tireless dedication, he served the people, and he defended the dignity, honor, and credibility of the Iranian nation. This path and this approach offer a great lesson for all of us officials, for the youth, and for future generations.
Arrogance, belittling the people, and placing the burden of responsibility upon them are among the traits of Pharaoh-like rule. Martyr Raisi stood in stark contrast to such traits. He regarded himself as being among the people, and in some cases, even lower than them, and it was with this perspective that he governed the country.
There are many individuals within the Islamic system who are adorned with these traits, but these characteristics and lessons must be transformed into public culture.
He [Martyr Raisi] possessed a humble and God-remembering heart, a frank and truthful tongue, and tireless, continuous action.
His heart overflowed with compassion for the people. Without expressing complaints about their expectations or harboring pessimism toward them, he was constantly concerned about fulfilling the heavy duties he bore.
He would adopt clear and explicit positions and never allowed the enemy to pretend that Iran had been brought to the negotiating table through threats, inducement, or tricks.
Of course, indirect negotiations [with the Outlaw US Empire] took place during his term similar to what’s happening now. Needless to say, there was no result. We don’t think these will yield results now either. We don’t know what will happen.
For the Americans to say “We won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium” is utter nonsense. We aren’t waiting for anyone’s permission. The Islamic Republic has certain policies, and it will pursue them.
At a suitable time, I will speak to the nation about the true intention and goal behind this insistence [of American and other Western countries on halting enrichment in Iran].
To grasp the significance of his [Ebrahim Raisi’s] manner of speaking, one must compare it to the duplicitous language used by the officials of certain Western governments — those who loudly claim to defend peace and human rights, deafening the world with their slogans, while shutting their eyes to the massacre of more than 20,000 innocent children in Gaza — and even supporting the criminals who commit these atrocities.
He was constantly working and striving. He recognized neither exhaustion nor the division of day and night when it came to providing continuous, high-quality service.
The fact that the President [Martyr Raisi] held up the Quran and held up a picture of Martyr Soleimani in a UN General Assembly is a source of pride for the nation.
I will conclude this article with this caricature from Saba, showing a Zionist soldier being strangled by a Yemeni saber with two symbols on the handle indicating sea and air blockade:
My thoughts on your excellent article/summary:
I am so heartened to see the photo of Israeli's holding photos of murdered Gaza children, maybe there is some hope for them yet.
God bless and protect the world's Lion of the Desert, Yemen!!!!!
And may every potential soldier in Israel be on the next boat out to avoid service.
Thank you again for a terrific and informative article!
but also the “world’s most moral army” - the same one which is full of war criminals and crimes against humanity. The knights of a blood-bath land, heroes of the settler colonial society.