More than 250 former officials of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, including three ex-chiefs, have signed a letter urging the government to immediately end the war in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of Israeli hostages, according to reports by state-owned Kan TV News.
The signatories include former Mossad chiefs Danny Yatom, Efraim Halevy, and Tamir Pardo, along with dozens of veteran officials from the agency. In their letter, the ex-Mossad members expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflict, stating: “Continued fighting endangers the lives of the hostages and our soldiers, and every possibility must be exhausted to reach an agreement that will end the suffering. We call on the government to make courageous decisions and act responsibly for the country’s security.”
The group also voiced support for hundreds of military aircrew members, both reservists and retirees, who had previously signed a similar letter calling for a cessation of hostilities and the return of hostages. Following the publication of the aircrew members’ letter on April 10, Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar terminated the service of active reservists among the signatories.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the dismissal decision and criticized such letters, referring to the signatories as “an extremist fringe group” attempting to “break Israeli society from within.”
On the same day, approximately 200 Israeli military doctors signed a petition echoing the demand to stop the fighting and bring home the hostages. The letter, published by several media outlets, stated: “The continued fighting in Gaza is primarily intended to serve political and personal interests, without any security purpose, and endangers the lives of soldiers and hostages.”
Hamas took 251 hostages to Gaza during its October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. Currently, 59 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with 24 of them still believed to be alive.
In January, Israel and Hamas reached a three-phase, ceasefire-for-hostages deal. However, negotiations on the second phase have reached an impasse after the first six-week phase expired on March 1. Israel resumed military operations in the Gaza Strip on March 18 amid the ceasefire deadlock.
