Jerusalem, April 14 -- More than 250 former officials of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency have written a letter urging the Israeli government to immediately end the war in the Gaza Strip and bring about the release of the Israeli hostages still held there.

The signatories of the letter 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."

The former inte...