Ex-Israeli security officials urge Trump to pressure Netanyahu to end Gaza war
Retired Israeli security chiefs said the war was causing Israel to lose its ‘security and identity’ and proposed a regional coalition to take over Gaza
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.
“It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,” the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media on Monday.
“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,” said Ami Ayalon, former director of the Shin Bet security service.
The war, nearing its 23rd month, “is leading the State of Israel to lose its security and identity,” 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 “steer” 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 the Palestinian militant group Hamas.