Translated with AI
More than 600 former high-ranking officers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as well as former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies, sent a letter to US President Donald Trump calling on him to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the military operation in the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reports.
The letter was signed by, among others, former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Matan Vilnai, former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, and former Mossad director Tamir Pardo. All of them are members of the newly established initiative group called the "Commanders of Israel's Security" (CIS).
The letter states that two of the three objectives set for the Israeli army have already been achieved, and the military operation, according to the letter's authors, must be concluded. They emphasize that the task of freeing the hostages can only be resolved through diplomatic means.
"In our professional opinion, Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the letter states. Donald Trump was chosen as the recipient because, according to the signatories, he enjoys significant authority in Israeli society and is capable of influencing the Israeli leadership's position.
As US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff stated earlier during his visit to Israel on August 2, work is currently underway on a framework agreement to end the conflict and free the hostages. According to The Jerusalem Post, Washington and Tel Aviv have been discussing the terms of a possible deal with Hamas for the past few months.
In May of this year, the US already proposed a 60-day pause in hostilities. According to the plan, Hamas was to release 10 hostages and hand over the bodies of 18 dead, with the rest to be released after a peace agreement was reached. However, the negotiations stalled.
