Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to protest letters sent in the name of reservist soldiers, calling it political propaganda from a noisy minority. He stated that the letters were not written by heroic soldiers but by a small group of retirees operated by foreign-funded organizations. Netanyahu emphasized that this is not a widespread phenomenon and that these individuals are encouraging Israel's enemies. He also made it clear that there would be no tolerance for refusal and anyone encouraging refusal will be dismissed immediately. The protest in the Air Force and Navy was followed by a protest from reservist officers in the Intelligence Corps, calling on the government to recover hostages even at the cost of stopping the fighting in Gaza. Faculty members in higher education institutions also signed a petition supporting the Air Force letter.