With scars still visible on their bodies, wounded IDF soldiers gathered outside the Knesset on Monday, urging the government not to end the war in Gaza until Hamas is fully defeated. “We demand that the Israeli government give meaning to our blood—by winning this war,” the group, members of the Heroism Forum, said in a statement.
Several Knesset members, including Matan Kahana and Chili Tropper from the National Unity party, joined the event to show support and speak with the wounded veterans.
Lt. Col. (res.) Tomer Barok, a former battalion commander in the IDF’s Southern Brigade, said that at this stage in the war, halting the fighting would render all their sacrifices meaningless. “It feels like the objectives haven’t been fully achieved, and we’ve been spinning our wheels,” he said. “I’m not here to give operational advice, but we have to finish this—there are still terrorists there, not Care Bears.”
“We fought without political agendas, shoulder to shoulder, unified,” Barok added. “We’re calling for national unity, but also for a clear and decisive outcome—not for us, but for the next generations. So our children can grow up in peace and flourish.”
He emphasized that Israel is capable of achieving victory. “At this pace, we can bring the war to a decisive end. It’s not complicated, and it shouldn’t take years. This is a matter of national investment. We trust the state and the General Staff to do everything necessary to defeat the enemy, for all of us.”
Kfir Zar, a wounded tank crewman and founding member of the war injuries forum, was critically wounded in Khan Younis about a year and a half ago when an anti-tank missile struck his vehicle. He spent six months in intensive care after his lungs collapsed due to the injury. At the end of those six months, he was informed that he would receive a lung transplant from a fallen soldier, Lt. Col. (res.) Dor Zimel, who was killed by a Hezbollah drone strike in northern Israel.
“Last year, on Passover Eve, I underwent the surgery and received Dor’s lungs—they saved my life,” Zar said outside the Knesset. “We’re here with one clear mission: to bring this war to a decisive end. We demand that no Gazan be allowed to return to their home while the war is still ongoing. We still have hostages in Gaza, and Hamas is still active. We’re here to say loud and clear—our blood is not for nothing. We demand that the government win this war.”
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Lt. Col. (res.) Itamar Itam, a reserve battalion commander, was wounded in Jabaliya about a year ago by a sniper’s bullet that hit him and his radioman. “Many more of my soldiers were wounded under my command. Our sacrifice isn’t one of victimhood—it’s a sacrifice of pride, of giving, shared by many wounded soldiers, by bereaved families, and by the entire Israeli people who want true security for generations to come,” he said.
He called on the government and the IDF leadership to stay the course: “Stick to the war’s objectives—defeating Hamas and bringing the hostages home. We are not tired or confused, and we will not retreat. We must deliver real security for the future of Israel.”