Ex-Mossad officials back soldiers calling for halt to Gaza strikes

In Israel, former Mossad officials have backed reserve soldiers dismissed from the army for demanding a halt to attacks on Gaza as part of efforts to secure a prisoner swap.

According to The Jerusalem Post, around 250 former Mossad members—including three former Mossad chiefs, a former deputy director, and senior executives—have joined the call to stop the Gaza offensive so that hostages can be returned home immediately.

In a letter, the former intelligence officers expressed solidarity with active-duty pilots who were expelled from the military after calling for a ceasefire for a prisoner deal, and voiced concern over the country's future.

"We join the call for immediate action to reach an agreement that brings all 59 hostages home without delay, even at the cost of halting the war," they stated.

The signatories warned that continuing attacks in Gaza endangered the lives of both hostages and soldiers, stressing that "every possibility must be considered to reach an agreement that ends the suffering."

Former Mossad directors Danny Yotam, Ephraim Halevi, and Tamir Pardo were among those who signed the letter.

GROWING CALLS WITHIN MILITARY TO END GAZA STRIKES

Nearly 1,000 pilots and reserve soldiers, some retired from the Israeli Air Force, had previously signed a letter urging an end to the military campaign in Gaza.

It was reported that Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir approved the dismissal of soldiers who signed the letter, as proposed by Air Force Commander Tomer Bar.

Following the pilots and reserve soldiers, over 150 retired naval officers and armored corps reservists also signed similar letters demanding an end to Gaza operations for the sake of a hostage exchange.

Hundreds of reservists from Israel's military intelligence unit "8200" also signed a letter calling for a ceasefire.

The letter received further backing from academics and military doctors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the dissenting soldiers—both current and retired—who support halting attacks for a hostage deal as "a handful of weeds" and accused them of trying to overthrow his coalition government.