Ex-Israeli security officials urge Trump to pressure Netanyahu to end Gaza war
'It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,' the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media on Monday.
'At first this war was a just war, a defensive war, but when we achieved all military objectives, this war ceased to be a just war,' said Ami Ayalon, former director of the Shin Bet security service.
The war, nearing its 23rd month, 'is leading the State of Israel to lose its security and identity,' Ayalon warned in a video released to accompany the letter.
Signed by 550 people, including former chiefs of Shin Bet and the Mossad spy agency, the letter called on Trump to 'steer' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu towards a ceasefire.
President Donald Trump (right) listens as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in the Oval Office in April. Photo: AP
Israel launched its military operation in the Gaza Strip in response to the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
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