The Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS), which coordinated the letter, said the Israeli army had already achieved two of its three objectives dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and governance structures

By Titilope Adako

More than 600 former Israeli security chiefs have called on United States President Donald Trump to intervene and end Israel’s war on Gaza, warning that the continued conflict will not secure the release of Israeli captives.

In a letter sent to Trump on Sunday, the former officials, including ex-Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon and ex-deputy army chief Matan Vilnai, urged him to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the nearly two-year offensive that has devastated Gaza and caused widespread starvation.

The Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS), which coordinated the letter, said the Israeli army had already achieved two of its three objectives — dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and governance structures.

However, it stressed that the third objective, securing the release of Israeli captives, could “only be achieved through a deal”.

“Everything that could be achieved by force has been achieved. The hostages cannot wait any longer,” the CIS stated on X, where it shared the letter.

The appeal comes amid growing global outrage after videos released by Palestinian groups showed two emaciated Israeli captives in Gaza, where more than two million Palestinians are enduring severe hunger.

“Stop the Gaza War! On behalf of CIS, Israel’s largest group of former generals and security officials, we urge you to end the Gaza war,” the letter read, adding: “You did it in Lebanon. Time to do it in Gaza as well.”

The former officials argued that Trump’s credibility rests on his ability to push Netanyahu “in the right direction”.

Meanwhile, Hamas has said it is open to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivering aid to Israeli captives, following Netanyahu’s request to the organisation.

Rejecting accusations of deliberately starving Palestinians, Netanyahu claimed that Israeli captives were the ones facing “systematic starvation”.

But Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, countered that the captives “eat what our fighters and all our people eat” and would not receive “special privilege amid the crime of starvation and siege”.

Israel has waged a relentless military campaign in Gaza since October 7, 2023, killing more than 60,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and reducing much of the enclave to rubble.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

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