ISTANBUL 

Some 1,700 Israeli artists and cultural figures signed urgent petitions on Tuesday calling on the government to prioritize the release of Israelis held in the Gaza Strip and end the war in the enclave.

The petitions were the latest in calls for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war that has killed at least 51,000 people in Gaza and secure the release of hostages through a prisoner swap with Palestinians.

“The artists join the pilots in demanding the immediate end of the war to bring the hostages home,” the daily Haaretz commented.

This was shortly followed by a new petition also signed by 600 Israeli architects and urban planners, according to The Times of Israel news website.

This outcry was just one part of a broader groundswell where 250 active and former naval commandos from the Shayetet 13 unit have issued a joint letter supporting a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel’s Army Radio also reported that graduates of offensive cyber units and former special operations members from the Military Intelligence Directorate issued letters questioning how Netanyahu could determine the fate of the hostages in Gaza.

Separately, about 200 Israelis, including hostage family members, published a letter supporting reservists and civilians pushing for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Several former top army commanders have joined the petitions, including former army chiefs Dan Halutz and Ehud Barak, who was also a prime minister.

Netanyahu has threatened to dismiss active-duty soldiers who signed the petitions.

The Israeli army renewed a deadly assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.