More than 600 retired Israeli security officials, including the former head of the Intelligence Reporting Agency, have urged US President Donald Trump to pressure the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza, France24 reported.
“It is our expert judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,” the former official wrote in an open letter shared with the media on Monday, calling on Trump to “steer” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision.
“In the beginning, this war was a fair war and a defensive war, but when all the military goals were achieved, this war became a fair war,” said Ami Ayalon, former director of Sing Bett Security Services.
The war approaching 23rd month “leading Israel’s condition to lose safety and identity,” Ayalon warned in a video accompanying the letter.
The letter, signed by 550 people, including former Chief of Singh Bet and the Mossad Spy Agency, called on Trump to “steer” Netanyahu towards a ceasefire.
In recent weeks, Israel has increased international pressure to agree to a ceasefire in which Israeli hostages released from Gaza and UN agencies can distribute humanitarian aid.
However, parts of Israel, including ministers of Netanyahu’s coalition government, are pushing away by Israeli forces instead, and Gaza pushes them all or partly to capture them.
The letter was signed by three former Mossad heads: Tamil Pardo, Ephraim Halevi and Danny Yathom.
Other signatories include five former principals of Singh Bet, Ayalon, Nadab Algaman, Yoram Koen, Yaakov Peri and Kalmi Giron – and three former military secretaries, including former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Minister of Defense Moshe Yaaron and Dan Hartz.
The letter argued that the Israeli military will “dismantle Hamas’ military formation and governance, which means that they have long achieved two forced objectives.”
“The third and most important thing can only be achieved by bringing all the hostages into the house,” he added.
In the letter, former officials can tell Trump that he is credible with most of the Israelis and pressure Netanyahu to end the war and return hostages.
After the ceasefire, signatories argue that Trump could force the regional coalition to force reformed Palestinian authorities to take charge of Gaza as an alternative to Hamas control.