In a striking and unprecedented appeal, nearly 600 retired Israeli security officials including former chiefs of the Mossad, Shin Bet, and the Israel Defense Forces have written an open letter to former U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to leverage his influence to bring an immediate end to the Gaza war. The call to action comes as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continues to draw global condemnation due to rising civilian casualties, a worsening humanitarian crisis, and the growing isolation of the Israeli government on the international stage.
The retired officials, members of the Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS) group, declared in their letter that “Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,” arguing that the initial military objectives of the war have already been achieved. They called on Trump widely regarded by many Israelis as a trusted and influential figure to use his unique credibility to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government into halting the offensive, prioritizing the return of hostages, and alleviating the humanitarian suffering in Gaza.
Their intervention coincides with renewed reports that Netanyahu is preparing to expand military operations in Gaza, despite the collapse of indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hamas. The war, which erupted after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has since evolved into one of the deadliest and most controversial conflicts in recent Middle East history. The assault resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages, sparking a full-scale Israeli retaliation that has now killed over 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
The situation on the ground in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly, with starvation and disease increasingly rampant. UN-backed humanitarian agencies have warned that the region is already experiencing the worst-case scenario of famine. Israel’s strict blockade on aid and basic supplies has exacerbated the crisis, leaving millions of Palestinians without access to food, medicine, or clean water. The Gaza Health Ministry recently reported that at least 180 people, including 93 children, have died from malnutrition since the war began. On Monday alone, it said 94 people were killed, including 24 who were trying to obtain aid—deaths that are becoming a grim and daily feature of life in the besieged territory.
Independent international journalists, including the BBC, remain barred by Israel from entering Gaza, making the verification of daily casualties difficult. Still, the widespread documentation of suffering and death has generated global outrage, intensifying calls for an immediate ceasefire. Western allies of Israel, especially in Europe and North America, are now facing mounting pressure from their constituents to take stronger action against what many perceive as disproportionate and inhumane military tactics.
Adding fuel to the diplomatic fire, two harrowing hostage videos were released recently by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, showing Israeli captives in visibly emaciated states. While the videos were roundly condemned by Israeli and Western leaders alike, they reignited national debates in Israel over the government’s hostage rescue strategy. Netanyahu has insisted that efforts to recover all hostages are “constant and relentless,” but critics argue that his military-first approach is only prolonging the suffering of those still held in captivity.
Notably, some of Israel’s most senior former officials including former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, ex-Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon have publicly denounced Netanyahu’s strategy. Ayalon, in particular, stated, “At first this war was a just and defensive war, but when we achieved all military objectives, it ceased to be a just war.”
The letter sent to Trump references his past intervention in Lebanon, urging him to do the same now in Gaza. “Stop the Gaza War!” it pleads. “You did it in Lebanon. Time to do it in Gaza as well.” The message underscores the belief that Trump’s influence could be pivotal in reshaping Israel’s course especially as the Israeli government appears increasingly deaf to domestic protests and international appeals.
Despite the chorus of global discontent, it remains unclear whether Trump will heed the call or apply meaningful pressure on Netanyahu. The former U.S. president has remained a staunch ally of Israel, and while he recently admitted to the existence of “real starvation” in Gaza; a statement at odds with Netanyahu’s denials his administration’s historical support for Israel suggests he may be reluctant to intervene decisively.
Nevertheless, the plea from Israel’s own former military and intelligence leadership underscores a critical turning point. With international opinion rapidly shifting against Israel, and the humanitarian toll in Gaza worsening by the day, the question now is not just whether the war can continue but at what cost to Israel’s moral standing and diplomatic future. The world watches closely as political, military, and humanitarian pressures converge, with the lives of thousands still hanging in the balance.
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