Ex-Israeli Spies Tell Trump: End Gaza War
500 former army officers in Israel signed a letter to Trump saying that continuing the war in Gaza not only endangers innocent lives but also Israel’s moral standing and long-term security.
U.S President Donald Trump attends the family photo session on the first day of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on June 28, 2019. AA
M
ore than 500 former Israeli intelligence, military, and law enforcement officials have signed an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump urging him to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza, arguing that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel.
The letter, signed by 550 retired senior officials — including ex-chiefs of the Mossad and Shin Bet, former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) generals, and even a former prime minister — states that Israel has already achieved its primary military objectives in Gaza and continuing the war is no longer justifiable.
“It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,” the letter reads.
The signatories call on President Trump to push Netanyahu toward a ceasefire that would bring home the remaining Israeli hostages and prevent further humanitarian disaster and diplomatic fallout.
Among the notable names are Ehud Barak, former prime minister and IDF chief of staff; Ami Ayalon, former Shin Bet director; and several former Mossad leaders. Many of them had been deeply involved in Israel’s past military operations.
War has ‘ceased to be just’
The letter marks a turning point in public dissent from within Israel’s influential security establishment. While the 2023 Hamas attacks and subsequent war were initially seen as necessary responses, the officials now argue that continuing the war undermines Israel’s own interests.
“At first, this was a just war, a defensive war,” said Ayalon in a media interview. “But when we achieved our military objectives, this war ceased to be just.”
The authors assert that Hamas’s centralized military structure has been dismantled, and the group is no longer able to operate as a conventional armed force. Instead, Hamas has shifted to small, decentralized guerrilla units that pose a tactical, but not existential, threat to Israel.
Although Israel launched a massive ground and air offensive — most recently under “Operation Gideon’s Chariot” — the war has failed to secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. The open letter argues that only diplomacy, not further fighting, can achieve that final goal.
“The third and most important objective — bringing the hostages home — can only be achieved through a deal,” the letter states.
Growing humanitarian crisis, global pressure
The appeal to Trump also reflects growing international concern over the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Nearly two years of genocide have left tens of thousands of Palestinians killed or injured and displaced 1.9 million. Food shortages, lack of medical care, and destroyed infrastructure have prompted criticism of the Israeli government from international organizations and many foreign governments.
Military experts agree that Israel has severely degraded Hamas’s capacity to function as a government or organized army. But the ongoing occupation of Israeli forces of Gaza and continuous raids in densely populated areas have increased civilian suffering and drawn international condemnation.
The letter’s signatories fear that continuing the war not only endangers innocent lives but also Israel’s moral standing and long-term security.
Trump’s influence could be decisive
President Trump has maintained a close relationship with Netanyahu and consistently backed Israel’s right to defend itself. However, in recent weeks he has expressed unease about the humanitarian toll in Gaza and signaled a desire to see the genocide end.
While it remains unclear whether Trump would publicly pressure Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire, the letter reflects hopes that U.S. diplomatic leverage could shift Israeli policy.
The U.S. had attempted to broker indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas following Israel’s military standoff with Iran in June. Those talks collapsed last month, with both sides blaming the other for failing to compromise.
“We are calling on President Trump to step in now, not only for the hostages but for the future of Israel,” said a retired general who signed the letter. “Israel’s identity and security are at stake.”
Divisions within Israeli leadership
Netanyahu has remained firm in his public stance. On Sunday, he declared that Israel seeks a “decisive military victory,” a message that alarmed many hostage families and former officials who believe such rhetoric is detached from military realities.
According to Israeli media, the country’s security cabinet will meet later this week to discuss the next phase of the Gaza genocide.
The letter represents one of the largest coordinated expressions of dissent from Israel’s retired defense elite in recent history. These individuals are widely respected in Israeli society and carry significant influence among policymakers and the public.
“When the people who built Israel’s security doctrine say the war has gone too far, it’s time to listen,” said one European diplomat in Tel Aviv.
Whether their intervention can change the course of events remains to be seen. But the message is clear: for a growing number of Israeli military personnel, the cost of continuing the war may now outweigh any potential military gain.
(Source: The Telegraph)
