UK, US spy agency leaders call for Gaza ceasefire in joint statement

The heads of the American and British foreign intelligence agencies said today they are "working ceaselessly" for a ceasefire in Gaza, using a rare joint public statement to press for peace.

CIA Director William Burns and MI6 Chief Richard Moore said their agencies had "exploited our intelligence channels to push hard for restraint and de-escalation".

In an opinion piece for the Financial Times, the two spymasters said a cease-ire in the Israel-Hamas war "could end the suffering and appalling loss of life of Palestinian civilians and bring home the hostages after 11 months of hellish confinement."

Burns has been heavily involved in efforts to broker an end to the fighting, travelling to Egypt in August for high-level talks aimed at bringing about a hostage deal and at least a temporary halt to the conflict.

So far there has been no agreement, though United States officials insist a deal is close. US President Joe Biden said recently that "just a couple more issues" remain unresolved. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has said reports of a breakthrough are "exactly inaccurate".

The US and the United Kingdom are both staunch allies of Israel, though London diverged from Washington on Monday by suspending some arms exports to Israel because of the risk they could be used to break international law.

Burns and Moore also stressed the strength of the trans-Atlantic relationship in the face of "an unprecedented array of threats," including an assertive Russia, an ever-more powerful China and the constant threat from international terrorism — all complicated by rapid technological change.

They highlighted Russia's "reckless campaign of sabotage" across Europe and the "cynical use of technology to spread lies and disinformation designed to drive wedges between us".

US officials have long accused Moscow of meddling in American elections, and this week the Biden administration seized Kremlin-run websites and charged employees of Russian broadcaster RT with covertly funding social media campaigns to pump out pro-Kremlin messages and sow discord around November’s presidential contest.

The article is the first joint opinion piece by the heads of the two spy agencies. The two directors pointed to a new era of openness in their secretive field, noting that the CIA and MI6 both declassified intelligence about Russia's plan to invade Ukraine before Moscow attacked its neighbour in February 2022.

"We saw it coming, and were able to warn the international community so we could all rally to Ukraine's defence," they said.

Two and a half years into a war with no quick end in sight, the spy chiefs said "staying the course" in supporting Ukraine remained vital.

They said the conflict has brought an unprecedented mix of conventional weaponry, fast-evolving technology in the form of drones and satellites, cyber-warfare and information operations "at incredible pace and scale".

"This conflict has demonstrated that technology, deployed alongside extraordinary bravery and traditional weaponry, can alter the course of war," they said, praising "Ukraine's resilience, innovation and elan."

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