Former Israeli security chiefs call on Trump to pressure Netanyahu to end Gaza war

More than 600 former senior Israeli security officials, including ex-heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet, have called on US President Donald Trump to compel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza.

In a letter sent to Trump, the Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS)—a group comprising former generals, intelligence leaders, police chiefs, and diplomats—urged the US leader to intervene directly, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

“Stop the Gaza War! On behalf of CIS, Israel’s largest group of former IDF generals and Mossad, Shin Bet, Police, and Diplomatic Corps equivalents, we urge you to end the Gaza war. You did it in Lebanon. Time to do it in Gaza as well,” the letter reads.

Among the signatories are former Mossad director Tamir Pardo, former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, and ex-IDF deputy chief Matan Vilnai. They argue that Israel’s military objectives in Gaza have largely been achieved and that continued fighting undermines the mission to rescue hostages.

“The IDF has long accomplished the two objectives that could be achieved by force: dismantling Hamas’ military formations and governance. The third, and most important, can only be achieved through a deal: bringing all hostages home,” CIS wrote.

“It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,” they continued, emphasizing that “our hostages can’t wait.”

The group believes Trump’s influence in Israel gives him unique leverage: “Your credibility with the vast majority of Israelis augments your ability to steer Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government in the right direction: End the war, return the hostages, stop the suffering, and forge a regional-international coalition that helps the Palestinian Authority (once reformed) to offer Gazans and all Palestinians an alternative to Hamas and its vicious ideology.”

CIS also urged acceptance of an international framework involving Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and a reformed Palestinian Authority to govern post-war Gaza—an idea Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.

By Vafa Guliyeva