Hundreds of retired Israeli security officials including former heads of intelligence agencies have urged US president Donald Trump to pressure their own government to end the war in Gaza.
鈥業t is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,鈥� the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media on Monday.
鈥楢t first this war was a聽 just war, a defensive war, but when we achieved all military objectives, this war ceased to be a just war,鈥� said Ami Ayalon, former director of the Shin Bet security service.
The war, nearing its 23rd month, 鈥榠s leading the State of Israel to lose its security and identity,鈥� Ayalon warned in a video released to accompany the letter.
Signed by 550 people, including former chiefs of Shin Bet and the Mossad spy agency, the letter called on Trump to 鈥榮teer鈥� prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu towards a ceasefire.
Israel launched its military operation in the Gaza Strip in response to the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
In recent weeks Israel has come under increasing international pressure to agree a ceasefire that could Israeli hostages released from Gaza and UN agencies distribute humanitarian aid.
But some in Israel, including ministers in Netanyahu鈥檚 coalition government, are instead pushing for Israeli forces to push on and for Gaza to be occupied in whole or in part.
The letter was signed by three former Mossad heads: Tamir Pardo, Efraim Halevy and Danny Yatom.
Others signatories include five former heads of Shin Bet 鈥� 螒yalon as well as Nadav Argaman, Yoram Cohen, Yaakov Peri and Carmi Gilon 鈥� and three former military chiefs of staff, including former prime minister Ehud Barak, former defence minister Moshe Yaalon and Dan Halutz.
The letter argued that the Israeli military 鈥榟as long accomplished the two objectives that could be achieved by force: dismantling Hamas鈥檚 military formations and governance.鈥�
鈥楾he third, and most important, can only be achieved through a deal: bringing all the hostages home,鈥� it added.
鈥楥hasing remaining senior Hamas operatives can be done later,鈥� the letter said.
In the letter, the former officials tell Trump that he has credibility with the majority of Israelis and can put pressure on Netanyahu to end the war and return the hostages.
After a ceasefire, the signatories argue, Trump could force a regional coalition to support a reformed Palestinian Authority to take charge of Gaza as an alternative to Hamas rule.
Meanwhile, Israel said the plight of hostages held in Gaza should top the global agenda, after Palestinian militants released videos showing them looking emaciated, heightening fears for their lives after nearly 22 months in captivity.
Foreign minister Gideon Saar, in a press briefing ahead of the UN Security Council session on the issue, said that 鈥榯he world must put an end to the phenomenon of kidnapping civilians. It must be front and centre on the world stage鈥�.
Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas鈥檚 October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the on-going Gaza war, 49 are still held in the Palestinian territory, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
The UN session was called after Palestinian militant group Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad published last week three videos showing hostages Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David appearing weak and emaciated, causing deep shock and distress in Israel.
Hamas鈥� armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said it was willing to allow Red Cross access to the hostages in exchange for permanent humanitarian access for food and medicine into all of Gaza, where UN-mandated experts have warned famine was unfolding.
The ICRC said in a statement it was 鈥榓ppalled by the harrowing videos鈥� and reiterated its 鈥榗all to be granted access to the hostages鈥�.
Netanyahu鈥檚 government has faced repeated accusations by relatives of hostages and other critics of not doing enough to rescue the captives.
鈥楴etanyahu is leading Israel and the hostages to ruin,鈥� said a campaign group representing families of the captives.
Mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to secure an elusive truce.
