In an unprecedented move, over 600 retired Israeli security officials have appealed directly to former U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to intervene and help bring an immediate end to the ongoing war in Gaza.
The signatories include high-ranking former heads of Israel’s top intelligence and defense agencies, including Mossad, Shin Bet, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who assert that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel.
“Our professional assessment is clear: Hamas has been significantly degraded and no longer constitutes a major threat to national security,” the group stated in a letter addressed to Trump. “Your unique standing with the Israeli public grants you unmatched influence to encourage Prime Minister Netanyahu to halt the war, secure the release of hostages, and relieve the humanitarian crisis.”
The letter comes amid mounting global pressure on Israel, as the humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to escalate. According to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, following Hamas’s deadly incursion into southern Israel.
Recent days have seen intensified strikes, with reports of nearly 100 people killed in a single day and dozens more dying while attempting to access humanitarian aid. Severe shortages of food and medical supplies have led to widespread malnutrition, with 180 reported deaths from starvation—nearly half of them children.
UN agencies have warned that famine conditions are already unfolding across Gaza.
The open letter to Trump was signed by prominent Israeli figures including former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, ex-Shin Bet director Ami Ayalon, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. They represent the Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS), a network of retired top military and intelligence leaders advocating for strategic diplomacy and de-escalation.
“What began as a necessary and justified response has now exceeded its military and moral objectives,” said Ayalon. “Continuing the war without a clear endgame is endangering both Israeli lives and international support.”
The renewed call for a ceasefire comes as Israel’s leadership, led by Netanyahu, considers expanding military operations in Gaza, despite stalled ceasefire negotiations and growing criticism from global allies.
Videos released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad of two visibly malnourished Israeli hostages have only intensified the debate at home. Netanyahu promised their families that rescue efforts would continue, but reportedly emphasized a strategy of total Hamas defeat through continued military action.
The main advocacy group for hostage families sharply condemned the proposed escalation, stating, “Netanyahu is driving Israel and the hostages toward catastrophe.”
In their letter, the CIS officials invoked Trump’s past role in pressuring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, suggesting he could play a similar part now. “You helped end a war before. Do it again—for Israel, for the hostages, for peace,” they urged.
While Trump has consistently supported Israel, including during the height of the conflict, he has recently acknowledged the severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza—contradicting Netanyahu’s insistence that reports of starvation are exaggerated.
It remains unclear whether Trump will act on the appeal. But as Israel’s international standing deteriorates and public sentiment shifts, former Israeli leaders are hoping his intervention might prompt a change in course.