A fresh wave of public appeals on Tuesday urged Israel’s leadership to strike a deal for the release of the hostages held by Hamas, warning that the continued fighting in Gaza endangers their lives.

Some 200 relatives of hostages and 23 freed hostages, including Gadi Mozes, Ofer Calderon, and Shiri and Noga Weiss, signed a letter published on Tuesday backing reservists who have called for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas, even if it means ending the war against the terror group that rules Gaza.

The letter called for all hostages to be returned in exchange for an end to the war, declaring that ongoing fighting “endangers the lives of hostages,” and stressing that this assertion is “not an assessment, it is a fact.”

Also on Tuesday, 350 Israeli authors called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war and bring the 59 remaining hostages home. The signatories included David Grossman, Shifra Horn, Fania Oz-Salzberger, Yehoshua Sobol, Ilan Sheinfeld, Zeruya Shalev, and other authors, poets, editors, translators, illustrators, and literary professionals.

The letter stated that most of the signatories have served in the Israel Defense Forces and contributed to the building of the State of Israel, its culture, and its literature.

In addition,........

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