Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Since the 1980s, Tuly Flint had been at the heart of Israel’s military, first as a combat soldier, a platoon commander and eventually as a high-ranking officer.
Despite decades of service and a growing shortage of reservists after 18 months of conflict in Gaza, Mr Flint has cut ties with the army in moral opposition to the war.
“People talk about the killings, but we forget that in Gaza now there are tens of thousands of orphans, as well as mutilated kids and families,” Mr Flint told The National.
“We as Israelis are the ones who did this. This is unbearable, un-Jewish, un-Israeli, unhumanistic. I’m not ashamed of being Israeli but I’m ashamed of what Israel is doing.”
He became disillusioned with the army after the 2014 war in Gaza and became a peace campaigner, but was convinced to rejoin after superiors asked him to serve following the events of October 7, 2023.
Six months into the current war, he had had enough. The decision put him in a small group of Israelis who withdrew from the service out of political conviction.
There are plenty of reservists who leave for health, personal or financial reasons, while polling consistently shows that others are troubled by the direction the war on Gaza is going. The government’s efforts to recover hostages held in the strip, or lack of, draw large public protests.
But few reservists are willing to live with the broken taboo of opposing their government from the ranks and, quite often, the hate that comes with being a conscientious objector in Israel today.
Mr Flint’s objection is rarer and harder for many of his compatriots to accept. Despite a long reservist career on the battlefield, the latter part of his time in the military was as a mental health officer, specialising in post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Refusing as a medic is much more complicated than refusing as a combatant, when the worst-case scenario is that someone else will carry your rifle and do your job,” he said. “When you’re a renowned trauma expert, it’s different.
“Refusing to work with the army is the hardest decision I ever took … but at the same time, I feel that by refusing I'm saving lives.”
Mr Flint stressed that he is still committed to treating soldiers outside the “umbrella of the military”, and still lectures on PTSD and volunteers with sufferers – Palestinian and Israeli.
“If enough people refuse, the government and the military will have to consider how they behave and find new solutions,” he said.
“The army should be a tool in the hands of the government and we are saying we are not giving you this tool now, because the solution you're choosing is the wrong one.”
There are signs that pressure from reservists, be they outward conscientious objectors or something more subtle, is mounting.
Last week, almost 1,000 veterans and reservists of the Israeli Air Force signed a letter calling on the government to immediately retrieve the hostages in Gaza through a deal with Hamas.
It also called for an end to fighting in the strip, which it said was now driven by the political interests of the government, not state security. Israel’s Air Force is arguably the most prestigious branch of the armed forces and has been central to the country’s campaigns across the Middle East since October 7.
Hours after the military announced it would dismiss reservists who signed the letter, about 150 navy veterans wrote their own, echoing the same message. There were then similar letters from members of the armoured corps, cyber experts, intelligence, infantry and special forces.
The military maintained that the ratio of veterans to actual reservist signatories in the initial air force letter was very low. However, even a small number of such vital personnel walking away, which could trigger more, is a deeply worrying trend for the leadership.
Israeli outlet Ynet reported on Monday that the new Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a shortage of soldiers could prevent the army from achieving the objectives the government is asking of it. Maj Gen Zamir also reportedly criticised the lack of a broader plan beyond the use of military force.
This comes about a month after Israel broke a ceasefire-hostage deal with Hamas and launched some of the most devastating fighting since the war in Gaza began. The country has not only carried out massive bombing and ground campaigns but also plans to change the nature of Gaza itself, by occupying and depopulating many areas and encouraging the permanent displacement of its Palestinian population to other countries.
These plans have been condemned internationally but, with an apparently supportive US administration, Israel seems undeterred. Mr Flint and fellow objectors hope their actions, alongside the letters, might apply a type of pressure from within that cannot be ignored.
“It might sound absurd but the most patriotic act today is to refuse,” Mr Flint said.
“If 10,000 soldiers would refuse out in the open – and if 1,000 parents gathered at the border to stop the army convoys from going in – the governments of all the world, including the Arab countries and Hamas, would understand that they need to find another solution instead of continuing with this killing and mutilating of each other.”
The National spoke to another medical conscientious objector who worked in detainment facilities holding Gazans after the war broke out.
“The most crucial thing is that I don’t think this war has any purpose any more,” the man said.
“It’s not going anywhere and was restarted mainly for political reasons. The political echelon cannot justify the killing of another hostage, soldier or an innocent in Gaza. There is no justification for killing people to preserve the Netanyahu coalition. That is the main reason why I think this war is no longer just.
“For the first six months, people thought this is our war of existence,” he added. “Some people still think that, but more and more are having doubts about where this is all going.”
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded