A group of over 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of Mossad and Shin Bet, have written an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to intervene and press Israel to bring an immediate end to the war in Gaza.
The signatories, who now form the Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS), include high-profile people such as Tamir Pardo, former Mossad chief, Ami Ayalon, former head of Shin Bet, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon. They have appealed directly to Trump, citing his influence over Israeli leadership.
“It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,” the letter states.
The group believes that continued military operations are unnecessary and have shifted the war beyond its original objectives.
“Your credibility with the vast majority of Israelis augments your ability to steer Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and his government in the right direction: end the war, return the hostages and stop the suffering,” the letter reads.
Their plea comes as Netanyahu signals plans to intensify military action in Gaza, even as indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas appear to have stalled.
Meanwhile, conditions on the ground have deteriorated. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023. The ministry reported 94 deaths in the last 24 hours alone, including at least 24 people who were killed while seeking aid. These claims remain difficult to verify due to restrictions preventing international journalists from independently entering Gaza.
The humanitarian crisis has escalated. The territory continues to face severe shortages of essential supplies due to Israeli restrictions on incoming aid. The ministry says at least 180 people, including 93 children, have died of malnutrition. UN-backed agencies warn that famine is no longer a risk but a reality.
The letter from the retired officials followed the circulation of two recent hostage videos released by the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. The footage showed emaciated Israeli captives and triggered a wave of condemnation. In response, Netanyahu assured their families that efforts to secure the hostages’ release would not stop.
An unnamed Israeli official told local media that Netanyahu seeks to achieve this through a complete military defeat of the Hamas, a strategy the hostage families and their supporters oppose.
The group representing hostage families strongly criticised the idea of a renewed offensive. “Netanyahu is leading Israel and the hostages to doom,” they said.
Former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon echoed this sentiment. “At first, this war was a just war, a defensive war, but when we achieved all military objectives, this war ceased to be a just war,” he said.
The CIS letter makes a direct appeal to Trump, reminding him of his past influence in Lebanon. “Stop the Gaza War! On behalf of CIS, Israel’s largest group of former IDF generals and Mossad, Shin Bet, Police and Diplomatic Corps equivalents, we urge you to end the Gaza war. You did it in Lebanon. Time to do it in Gaza as well,” they wrote.
Israel’s diplomatic standing has eroded globally, with mounting civilian casualties in Gaza drawing international condemnation. Public opinion in many countries has shifted against Israel, adding pressure on Western governments to demand an end to the conflict.
It remains uncertain whether President Trump, who has consistently stood by Netanyahu, will act on the appeal. Last week, the U.S. president acknowledged reports of “real starvation” in Gaza, despite Netanyahu’s denials.
