A clear majority of the Israeli public opinion prioritizes ending the war to ensure the immediate release of our hostages.

The message came shortly before the scheduled meeting of the Israeli mini-cabinet (the ‘Kabinett’), where ministers are expected to discuss and approve the Israeli occupation army’s plan to occupy Gaza City. According to the newspaper ‘Maariv’: ‘The timing of the message highlights the gap between the former leaders’ call to end the fighting and long-term strategic planning, and the government’s intention to continue military escalation in the heart of the Strip.’

The former leaders wrote to Trump: ‘A clear majority of the Israeli public prioritizes ending the war to guarantee the immediate release of our hostages (prisoners in Gaza).’ The signatories presented five key principles for the day after: ‘Ending the war and returning all hostages; both alive and dead, urgent expansion of humanitarian aid.’

The principles also included ‘coordinating the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from Gaza, with the entry of an alternative government, free of Hamas, tasked with civil administration, law enforcement, and reconstruction of Gaza.’ Also included was ‘forming an alternative government based on Arab countries that have expressed readiness to participate in the mission, including deploying armed forces, in coordination with the Palestinian Authority; all while maintaining Israel’s inalienable right to self-defense.’

The former Israeli leaders added to Trump: ‘Once the plan begins to be implemented, it will enable the next phase of your historic achievement; the Abraham Accords.’ On September 15, 2020, Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain signed normalization agreements called by the White House the ‘Abraham Accords,’ later joined by Morocco and Sudan.

They added in their address to Trump: ‘Your successes so far, in shaping the previous ceasefire agreement and prisoner releases, in freeing the Israeli-American prisoner Aidan Alexander, in your success in Lebanon, and in your decisive step towards Iran; indicate an ability to turn plans into reality. Your popularity among the Israeli public strengthens this ability.’

Moreover, the ‘Leaders for Israel’s Security’ movement includes former chiefs of staff, Mossad, Shin Bet, police, national security council, and former officials from Israel’s foreign ministry. The ‘Kabinett’ is scheduled to meet Sunday evening to discuss plans to occupy Gaza City, and ‘security establishment leaders intend to demand including the topic of negotiations for prisoner release in the discussion – despite Netanyahu’s refusal,’ according to the Hebrew Channel 12.

On August 18, Hamas agreed to a mediators’ proposal for a partial ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza, but Israel has not responded yet, despite the terms largely matching what Tel Aviv had previously accepted.

Instead, Netanyahu is pushing toward occupying Gaza City under the pretext of releasing prisoners and defeating Hamas amid significant skepticism about the feasibility of this, expressed by opponents, former officials, and the Israeli army’s confirmation that ‘the operation poses a danger to the lives of the prisoners.’

With full American support, since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation army has been carrying out a genocide across the besieged Gaza Strip, including killing, starving, destroying, and forcibly displacing, ignoring all international calls and International Court of Justice orders to stop. The genocide has resulted in 63,371 Palestinian deaths and 159,835 injuries, mostly children and women, in addition to over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that claimed 332 lives including 124 children.