“This war must end as soon as possible, and all hostages must be returned—both civilians and soldiers,” the spokesman said. He urged Israel to leverage U.S. mediation and other diplomatic channels to secure a deal.
The commentary also pressed Israeli military leaders to confront Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, advising Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to “raise the red flag” and push for an end to the war without yielding to far-right coalition partners like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
“Netanyahu understands the dangers of sinking deeper into Gaza’s quagmire,” the former spokesman said. “He may be waiting for Trump’s help, but the hostages are not an American issue; they are our children.”
Behind Closed Doors: Netanyahu’s Secret Talks
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu held a confidential security meeting Friday night to assess the situation in Gaza and ongoing efforts to free hostages. A follow-up session is scheduled for Saturday, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources say mediators are intensifying pressure to resume indirect talks between Israel and Hamas. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Tel Aviv is prepared to engage in negotiations under the proposed “Weitkoff” framework, though any delegation’s dispatch to Cairo hinges on prior agreements. Yet the core dispute remains: Hamas demands a permanent ceasefire, while Israel insists on continuing military operations until the group is dismantled.
‘A Dangerous Failure’: The Khan Yunis Disaster
The debate comes amid mounting criticism of Israel’s military strategy. In a scathing Ma’ariv op-ed, analyst Avi Ashkenazi cited the recent Khan Younis ambush, which killed an officer and six soldiers from an elite engineering unit, as evidence of systemic failures.
“This was not just a tactical mishap but a leadership failure,” Ashkenazi wrote, blaming Netanyahu and the army officials.
After 620 days of war, he argued, the Israeli military is overstretched and depleted. Four major divisions remain bogged down in Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, Rafah, and Khan Younis, with troops suffering from fatigue, deteriorating equipment, and declining combat readiness.
‘A War to Nowhere’
Ashkenazi warned that Israel’s political leadership is fighting without a clear objective. Despite lofty promises, Operation Gideon’s Chariot has failed to achieve its goals, leaving the military and Israeli society on the brink of exhaustion.
“The prime minister and defense minister are ignoring reality,” he wrote. “Their priority isn’t victory, it’s political survival.”
As pressure mounts at home and abroad, the question looms: How much longer can Israel’s weary army sustain this war?
Hossein Amiri
