More than 600 former Israeli security officials have appealed to United States President, Donald Trump, to intervene and help end the ongoing war in Gaza, as the international community reacts strongly to reports of Palestinian deaths caused by starvation.
The plea was delivered in a letter on Sunday, endorsed by prominent figures such as ex-Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon, and retired Israeli army deputy chief Matan Vilnai.
They urged Trump to use his influence to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the nearly two-year-long military campaign that has left Gaza in ruins.
Their appeal comes amid mounting outrage over video footage released by Palestinian groups, showing two severely malnourished Israeli captives in Gaza.
The territory, home to more than two million Palestinians, has been grappling with a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
“Everything that could be achieved by force has been achieved. The hostages cannot wait any longer,” said the Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS) group in a statement on X, where they also shared the letter addressed to Trump.
According to the letter, Israel’s military has already reached two out of its three goals, “dismantling Hamas’ military formations and governance”, but insisted that the remaining objective of securing the captives’ release “can only be achieved through a deal.”
“Stop the Gaza War! On behalf of CIS, Israel’s largest group of former [military] generals and Mossad, Shin Bet, Police, and Diplomatic Corps equivalents, we urge you to end the Gaza war,” the letter reads.
“You did it in Lebanon. Time to do it in Gaza as well,” it continued.
The former security leaders also suggested that Trump’s legacy would be shaped in part by his capacity to guide Netanyahu “in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Hamas announced on Sunday that it would allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver humanitarian aid to Israeli captives, following a request made by Netanyahu to the Geneva-based body.
Netanyahu, however, maintains that Palestinians in Gaza are not experiencing starvation, instead alleging that the Israeli captives are being subjected to “systematic starvation.”
Hamas’s Qassam Brigades responded by insisting that captives are receiving no preferential treatment.
“They will not receive any special privilege amid the crime of starvation and siege,” said spokesman Abu Obeida. “They eat what our fighters and all our people eat.”
Despite increasing global demands for a ceasefire, Israel has continued its military operations in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The war has claimed the lives of over 60,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children and has pushed the enclave to the edge of famine.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel is also currently facing a genocide lawsuit at the International Court of Justice, while numerous human rights groups have labeled the war as genocidal.