Commentary | Military Pressure Is Not Enough: Offensive Diplomacy, and the High Cost of Hesitation

There is no certainty that the Israeli government’s assertion "only military pressure will bring back the hostages" is still fully applicable. Military pressure is increasing—five IDF divisions are fighting in the Gaza Strip—and reports say that 40, 50, or even sixty percent of the territory, depending on who you ask, has been taken by the IDF.

The IDF spokesperson said this week that Hamas is "losing control over its population," and that the IDF is "clearing and holding territory." In Jabaliya, brigades have fought multiple times, and this week, three Givati soldiers were killed when their vehicle ran over an explosive device. It’s not hard to guess that a Hamas operative watched from a hiding place in a destroyed house, easily predicted the route of the IDF convoy the next day, and alone or with others emerged from a tunnel and planted a deadly explosive trap.

Hamas still has operational capabilities

In other words, Hamas still possesses operational capabilities despite the targeted killings of its leaders and operatives. A knowledgeable Middle East expert estimated this week that Hamas still has about 10,000 active fighters in the Gaza Strip. Not organized in brigades, battalions, or companies, but in smaller cells. A single cell like this can cause severe damage and is difficult to detect. That’s why some claim that a terror organization like Hamas cannot be eradicated—because it is based on an idea. The reality in Gaza now is that in addition to the “idea,” dangerous terrorists are still operating.

There is no real progress in the negotiations for a hostage release deal. While families endure unbearable suffering, details of deals are discussed—releasing five, ten—and who will determine who gets released first and who later (selection). Wording is circulated: minor progress, disagreements over phrasing, a few days between stages, while hostages rot in tunnels. A hostage’s mother said this week about this stage: “They stretch the rope and loosen it, stretch and loosen, and it never ends.”

The U.S. shows goodwill

The Americans are showing goodwill, and the hostage issue is close to envoy Steve Witkoff’s heart, and he is making efforts to advance a deal. But so far, there is no deal. White House envoy Brett McGurk and his president have a packed global agenda. The president is selling next-generation aircraft to Japan, clashing with academia and the judiciary, dealing with migrants crossing from Mexico, while his Secretary of Defense warns that China poses a direct threat to Taiwan.

All of this has not yet produced a deal to return all the hostages, dead or alive. It's unfortunate that not all citizens of this country are convinced that indeed, returning the hostages and redeeming the captives is at the top of the government’s priorities. The general public sees that the IDF is maneuvering and assumes that IDF commanders—from the Chief of Staff down—who act under the direction of the political leadership, also believe that military pressure will bring about the hostages’ release.

However, there are reservations—mostly from statements by officers who prefer to remain anonymous. But this week, comments were heard from a reserve Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, who operated a strike cell in the Air Force command bunker and told his commanders he feared launching airstrikes lest they harm hostages whose whereabouts are unknown. If one officer had the courage to voice this terrible dilemma as someone who sends aircraft to bomb targets, there may be others who feel the same.

To win, we need courage. Winning these days means bringing home the hostages—civilians and soldiers—who were abducted by terrorists that infiltrated a state that failed to protect its communities. Courage means saying to President Trump: We are willing to be bold—we are prepared to stop the war. In return, we demand that the President, his envoys, and the mediators find a way to persuade—or compel—Hamas to fulfill the promises it made: to return all the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire.

The rebels in Yemen

The Houthis in Yemen also require bold action and a respectful conversation with the President of the United States. Praise goes to the Air Force, the Arrow missile crews, and other air defense elements for intercepting the vast majority of Houthi launches, preventing casualties. But millions in Israel experience missile launches nearly every day, and this is an intolerable anomaly unmatched anywhere in the world, except perhaps Ukraine. People are suffering from trauma, children are terrified by sirens, airlines are mistreating tens of thousands of passengers, and the economic damage is severe.

It is hard to believe that someone like Trump does not grasp the absurdity of a rebel group in Yemen tormenting an entire country from 2,000 kilometers away while “nothing can be done.” Well, something can be done. Israel is doing its part in fighting the Houthis. The U.S. has not yet taken decisive action to eliminate the Houthi threat—beyond signing an agreement that ensures, heaven forbid, American commercial ships are not harmed.

The majority of the Israeli public undoubtedly shares the sense that now—literally in these very days and hours—every effort must be invested in convincing the American administration and its president that the State of Israel is desperate for the immediate return of all the hostages. It is ready for significant concessions to achieve this goal. It also will not tolerate for much longer a reality in which missiles are fired daily at its territory without interruption.

What’s needed now is what one could call “offensive diplomacy,” in collaboration with all political and diplomatic actors, launching a powerful campaign to bring the hostages home. It is imperative to initiate and act with new and original ideas not yet tried—before it is too late. Even U.S. President Donald Trump cannot guarantee the survival and well-being of those hostages who may be forced to wait weeks, a month, or sixty days longer in the conditions of captivity in the tunnels.