Former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren warns that the Gaza war will test Israel’s endurance, and that only uncompromising pressure can deliver a hostage deal.
As the war in Gaza drags on and the fate of 48 Israeli hostages hangs in the balance, former MK and Ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, has offered his sobering take on Israel’s current dilemma: survival, stamina, and the slim chance of a breakthrough deal.
Speaking on the ongoing negotiations, Oren emphasized that any real progress on hostages will not come from goodwill, but from “relentless and coordinated pressure on Hamas.”
“The tragedy of the hostages defines this war as much as the battlefield,” Oren said. “If there is any chance of a breakthrough, it will be because Hamas feels the squeeze from Israel, the U.S., and regional powers simultaneously.”
On the military front, Oren highlighted the IDF’s extraordinary endurance nearly two years into the conflict, while warning that Israel must brace for a long war of attrition in Gaza, coupled with mounting international pressure.
He stressed that Israel faces a dual challenge: maintaining its operational edge on the ground while keeping national morale intact amid stalled negotiations and surging antisemitism abroad.
Oren, who has long argued that Israel’s security depends on both force and diplomacy, believes a deal remains possible — but cautions that “time is not on the hostages’ side.”
