Ex-security chiefs warn Gaza war threatens Israel’s future

At least 18 former leaders of Israel’s intelligence and security apparatus, including ex-chiefs of Mossad, Shin Bet, the military and police, have jointly urged the government to halt its war on Gaza.

In a video released online, the group condemned the offensive as a strategic and moral failure, saying it had achieved little while inflicting deep damage on Israel’s standing and identity.

“This war stopped being a just war. This is leading the state of Israel to the loss of its security and its identity,” said Ami Ayalon, former Shin Bet head.

Tamir Pardo, who once led Mossad, warned, “We are on the precipice of defeat. No matter how good the army is, a war with no political goal is a guarantee of defeat.”

Amos Malka, a former military intelligence commander, argued that Israel passed the point of decisive action over a year ago. “We could have ended the war with a sufficient operational achievement,” he said.

Instead, ex-Shin Bet director Nadav Argaman added, “We are now mostly offsetting losses.”

The remarks mark one of the most high-profile internal rebukes of the war effort, coming from the very figures once responsible for Israel’s security doctrine.