The War Wounded Forum comprises hundreds of fighters from across the country, including Kibbutz Gadot, Ramat Gan, Kfar Saba, Jerusalem, Beit El, and Tel Aviv, united behind the slogan, “We will not stop the fighting until the war is won.”
On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with forum members and declared:
“We will occupy Gaza, and our security control will remain there indefinitely. The situation has changed; a decision has been made to go all the way. In the coming days, significant actions will unfold in Gaza—actions that you haven’t seen or heard about until now.”
On Monday, forum members posted on Facebook:
“This evening, we met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his office in Jerusalem. We sat across from him, face to face, as warriors who had been wounded in battle, bearing scars, enduring pain, and drawing strength from our experiences.
“He listened intently, hearing our stories of heroism and sacrifice, and expressed his deep appreciation for our resilience.
“During the meeting, we made a clear demand: an end to the shuffling, and a firm, decisive resolution in the war.”
Yotam Asban, who was wounded in battle in the Gaza Strip exactly a year ago, shared ahead of the meeting: “The forum was established in the past two weeks and brings together hundreds of those wounded, both physically and mentally, from all corners of Israeli society, united by one goal: Even if we can no longer return to the frontlines, we understand that our war did not end on the battlefield. The fight continues on another front—here, at home. We are about to meet with the Prime Minister, with a clear message to the cabinet, the political leadership, and the General Staff Forum: Reach a full resolution to this war, stop the shuffling, because the blood of our friends and our own will not be in vain. Last week, I attended six memorials, and I promised my fallen friends at my event that their blood will not be forgotten. Once the State of Israel knows how to resolve this properly, it will not back down—we will not bow to a handful of Hamas terrorists.”
Lt. Col. (res.) Tomer Brook, a reserve battalion commander in the southern brigade of the Gaza Division who was injured a year and four months ago, added: “One of the main points we’re addressing is the need to reduce the focus on raids. There’s a very clear method in both attack and combat—occupying territory. It’s not shameful to say that. Seizing land, clearing the area, destroying Hamas’s capabilities, and if necessary, maintaining control at the civilian level as well. When we returned from the war and felt the unity among us on the battlefield, we didn’t care who elected what or who demonstrated. We were united as brothers, as friends bound by a common purpose. Let’s take that brotherhood and bring it back to the civilian world. Let everyone see us and understand that we literally shed our blood on the ground. It’s time to change the discourse and shift the attitude.”
Amichai Schindler, who was seriously injured in Kerem Shalom on October 7, shared: “I was injured in front of my wife and children. Two very close friends of mine were killed at the entrance to our house, and many others were wounded. Our goal is clear: to return to Kerem Shalom and to the entire Gaza envelope, knowing that Hamas and our enemies are deterred, and they understand exactly who is in control, who is running the war. We will hit them as deeply as necessary. We are still evacuated, but we will hold out until the army brings this war to a complete victory.”
