Ex-Israel spies demand war in Gaza stops as Hamas agrees to release hostages on one condition

Israel's relentless attacks on Gaza continued today as more than 250 former Mossad spy agency officials signed a letter demanding an end to the war. It comes as Hamas officials claim they will release all of its hostages to end the war in exchange for large numbers of Palestinian prisoners held in prisons. And more than 250 former officials of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency have signed a letter urging the government to immediately end the war in the Gaza Strip.

They joined a growing number of military veterans and other officials calling for the war to end in a bid to save the lives of remaining prisoners in Gaza. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said: “We are ready to release all Israeli captives in exchange for a serious prisoner swap deal, an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the entry of humanitarian aid.

But a sticking point in any ceasefire deal is that Hamas will not disarm. Al-Nunu added: “The weapons of the resistance are not up for negotiation. The issue is not the number of captives. But rather that the occupation is reneging on its commitments, blocking the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and continuing the war. Hamas has therefore stressed the need for guarantees to compel the occupation () to uphold the agreement.”

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Israeli news website Ynet said a new proposal had been put to Hamas. Under the deal, the group would release 10 living hostages in exchange for US guarantees that Israel would enter negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire. The first phase of the ceasefire, which began on January 19 and included multiple hostage-prisoner exchanges, lasted two months before disintegrating.

Efforts towards a new truce have stalled, reportedly over disputes regarding the number of hostages to be released by Hamas.

The letter from Mossad operatives called for the release of remaining hostages and included. The signatories include three former Mossad chiefs: Danny Yatom, Efraim Halevy, and Tamir Pardo, as well as dozens of other veteran officials in the service.

The ex-Mossad members said: "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."

They expressed support for hundreds of military aircrew members, in reserve or retired, who signed a similar letter, calling for a cessation of hostilities and the return of the hostages. Following the publication of the aircrew members' letter on Thursday, Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar decided to terminate the service of active reservists among the signatories.

Israeli Prime Minister backed the dismissal decision and lashed out at such letters, calling the signatories "an extremist fringe group" attempting to "break Israeli society from within". At the weekend 200 Israeli military doctors signed a petition with the same demand for stopping the fighting and bringing home the hostages.

That letter said: "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. Israel and Hamas reached a three-phase, ceasefire-for-hostages deal in January. However, negotiations on the second phase face an impasse after the first six-week phase expired on March 1. Israel then resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18 amid the ceasefire deadlock.