Hundreds of Israeli Air Force reservists sign letter urging captive deal with Hamas

CAIRO – 10 April 2025: Around 1,000 Israeli reservists and retired officers from Israel’s Air Force signed a letter on Thursday calling for a deal with Hamas to secure the release of captives held in Gaza, according to the New York Times.

The letter argued that the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza could lead to fatalities among the dozens of captives still stuck there, urging a deal even at the cost of ending the war.

“Stop the fighting and return all of the hostages — now!” the letter stated. “Every day that passes endangers their lives.”

The signatories asserted that the war is driven by political interests rather than security concerns.

The signatories include a former chief of staff and other former senior military leaders.

“It is immoral to abandon 59 hostages in Gaza,” Maj. General Nimrod Sheffer, a former senior Israeli Air Force officer, said in a phone interview.

“Someone needs to say loud and clear that they need to come home. We can’t stay quiet anymore.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemned the letter, warning that “statements that weaken the Israel Defense Forces and strengthen our enemy during wartime” are “unforgivable.”

On March 18, Israeli forces resumed the war in Gaza, killing over 1,400 Palestinian deaths, predominantly women and children.

These military actions shattered a ceasefire that had taken effect in January, which allowed for the release of 38 captives—30 of whom were alive—in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas continues to hold 59 captives, with at least 22 believed to be alive, insisting that negotiations are the only way for Israel to recover its captives.

Hamas warned of the impact of renewed Israeli operations on the safety of the captives, saying Israel “must realize that this aggression represents a death sentence for the remaining captives in the Gaza Strip.”

This week, Hamas released a video showing captives Maxim Herkin and Bar Kupershtein, held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, stating that they “miraculously escaped death” after an Israeli strike hit the building where they were located.