In an exclusive interview with CGTN, former Israeli army general Matan Vilnai questioned the government's true intentions in seeking to take over Gaza. Drawing on his experience as the military commander responsible for the Gaza Strip prior to the Oslo Accords, he warned that Israel would achieve nothing from such an occupation. He urged the government to prioritize rescuing hostages and adopting the Egyptian and Arab League proposal to resolve the Gaza crisis. Vilnai is among more than 600 former Israeli senior security officials who have called on U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza.