More than 1,000 bereaved Israeli families have united in a powerful statement against calls to end the ongoing war in Gaza without achieving victory. Organized by the Gvura (Heroism) Forum, the letter was published on Friday, April 18, 2025, and reflects the sentiments of families who have lost loved ones in Israel’s wars and Palestinian terrorist attacks. The signatories assert that halting military operations before reaching their objectives poses a severe threat to national security.
The families, who have suffered losses in the current conflict, dubbed "Operation Swords of Iron," as well as in previous military conflicts and acts of terrorism, implored the government to stay the course. In their message, they wrote, "Do not stop—continue and win the war," emphasizing that the fight must continue until all goals are met: the return of hostages, the destruction of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the elimination of other threats to Israel.
Recalling the horrific events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israeli civilians, the families described the ongoing war as one of national survival. They characterized it as a conflict that was forced upon them and more just than any other. The letter highlighted the sacrifices made by Israeli soldiers and families, asserting that the war effort is vital to ensuring that such atrocities never happen again.
While acknowledging some progress in the war, the families insisted that the mission remains incomplete. They warned that ending the war prematurely would invite future atrocities. The Gvura Forum has consistently supported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance against a hostage deal that would involve releasing imprisoned terrorists or ceasing military operations. In a show of solidarity, the letter concluded with a message of support to the prime minister: "We stand with the government of Israel and its leader—do not stop. Continue, and win the war."
Separately, the Tikva Forum for Hostages’ Families also condemned recent letters advocating for a ceasefire. This forum warned that such appeals endanger both hostages and Israeli soldiers. They stated that many of the letter writers are radical left-wing activists using the hostage issue to push political agendas disconnected from Israel’s security reality. "These calls do not stem from humanitarian concern," the Tikva Forum asserted, "but mask ideological refusal to serve. They weaken national resilience, damage morale, and signal to Hamas that Israeli society is cracking."
In recent weeks, multiple letters from various sectors of the security establishment have called for a swift end to the war and the return of hostages. In late March 2025, around 40 former hostages signed a letter urging an immediate halt in fighting to protect the lives of the remaining hostages. Earlier this month, hundreds of veterans and reservist Air Force pilots signed a letter claiming that the war was only serving political interests.
Following this, hundreds of veterans, reservists, and serving soldiers from the IDF's 8200 Intelligence Unit also signed a letter calling for the government to prioritize the return of hostages, even if that meant ending the war. The organizers of this letter explicitly stated that it was published in support of the Air Force pilots.
On April 13, 2025, 250 Mossad veterans and nearly 200 reserve medical corps officers signed separate letters advocating for the return of hostages, even if it meant the end of the war. The Mossad letter emphasized that protecting the lives of hostages took precedence over revenge, while the medical corps letter argued that the war endangers the lives of Israeli soldiers and civilians without advancing the war’s goals.
On April 14, 2025, nearly two thousand graduates of the IDF's Talpiot intelligence training program published a letter calling for the immediate return of hostages, even if it meant ending the war. This wave of petitions has sparked considerable outrage within the government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu dismissing them as “noisy” anarchists.
The ongoing conflict has seen Hamas holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted during the October 7 attack. Among them are the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF. Since the start of the war, Hamas has released 30 hostages during a ceasefire between January and March 2025, and 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023. Additionally, four hostages were released in the early weeks of the war.
The situation remains dire, with eight hostages rescued from captivity alive, and the bodies of 41 recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military during attempts to escape their captors. The body of another soldier killed in 2014, Lt. Hadar Goldin, is still being held by Hamas and is counted among the 59 hostages.
As the conflict continues, the divide between those advocating for military action and those calling for a ceasefire grows more pronounced. The Gvura Forum's letter reflects a significant faction of Israeli society that believes in the necessity of continuing the war until all objectives are met, despite the growing chorus of voices urging caution and compassion for the hostages.
