https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/04/hamas-israel-security-trump-netanyahu-mossad/
Hamas no longer a threat to Israel, say 600 former spies
Retired security officials call on Trump to ‘steer’ Netanyahu towards ending war
Our Foreign Staff 04 August 2025
The letter argues that Israel has ‘long accomplished the dismantling of Hamas’s military formations and governance’ Credit: Chris McGrath
Hundreds of retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of intelligence agencies, have urged Donald Trump to pressure their own government to end the war in Gaza.
“It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel,” the former officials wrote in an open letter to the US president, which was 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”, Mr 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 Mr Trump to “steer” Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, towards a ceasefire.
Israel began its military operation in the Gaza Strip in response to the deadly Oct 7 2023 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
In recent weeks Israel has come under increasing international pressure to agree a ceasefire that could see Israeli hostages released from Gaza and UN agencies distribute humanitarian aid.
But some in Israel, including ministers in Mr Netanyahu’s coalition government, are instead pushing for Israeli forces to push on and for Gaza to be occupied in whole or in part.
The letter was signed by three former Mossad heads: Tamir Pardo, Efraim Halevy and Danny Yatom.
Others signatories include five former heads of Shin Bet – Mr Ayalon as well as Nadav Argaman, Yoram Cohen, Yaakov Peri and Carmi Gilon – and three former military chiefs of staff, Ehud Barak, the former prime minister, Moshe Yaalon, the former defence minister, and Dan Halutz.
The letter argued that the Israeli military “has long accomplished the two objectives that could be achieved by force: dismantling Hamas’s military formations and governance”.
“The third, and most important, can only be achieved through a deal: bringing all the hostages home,” it said, adding: “Chasing remaining senior Hamas operatives can be done later.”
The former officials tell Mr Trump that he has credibility with the majority of Israelis and can put pressure on Mr Netanyahu to end the war and return the hostages.
After a ceasefire, the signatories argue, Mr Trump could force a regional coalition to support a reformed Palestinian Authority to take charge of Gaza as an alternative to Hamas rule.