{"id":13844,"date":"2025-03-06T10:11:30","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T10:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/?p=13844"},"modified":"2025-03-06T10:11:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T10:11:44","slug":"ehud-barak-netanyahus-war-strategy-endangers-hostages-and-israels-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/2025\/03\/06\/ehud-barak-netanyahus-war-strategy-endangers-hostages-and-israels-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Ehud Barak: Netanyahu\u2019s War Strategy Endangers Hostages and Israel\u2019s Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watan<\/strong><\/em>-Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak urges prioritizing diplomatic solutions over military escalation to recover hostages and establish an alternative to Hamas governance, warning against the risks of a prolonged, multi-front war.<\/p>\n

In an article published on Israel\u2019s Channel 12 website, Barak argues that nearly 17 months have passed since October 7, yet the most urgent goal remains securing the immediate release of all hostages\u2014many of whom are still alive, shackled in underground tunnels. He warns that those who have been abandoned could meet the same fate as Ron Arad, the Israeli Air Force pilot captured in Lebanon in 1986, whose whereabouts remain unknown.<\/p>\n

Barak Blames Netanyahu for Stalled Negotiations<\/h3>\n

Barak criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for violating the agreement he signed with Hamas. He asserts that the second phase of the hostage deal was not halted due to security concerns or because the Philadelphi Corridor is “essential to Israel\u2019s survival,” but rather because Netanyahu’s political survival depends on the support of right-wing ministers such as Bezalel Smotrich and Yitzhak Goldknopf.<\/p>\n

Barak accuses Netanyahu of stalling for time before resuming heavy fighting in Gaza, claiming that the real goal is to dismantle Hamas’ rule, a mission that has remained unchanged for nearly 17 months. He warns that violating the deal and threatening to resume full-scale war could amount to a death sentence for the majority of the remaining hostages.<\/p>\n

\"Israel
Bezalel Smotrich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Strategic Dilemma: Hostage Release vs. Hamas\u2019 Removal<\/h3>\n

Barak outlines what he sees as two conflicting objectives for Israel:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Immediate release of all hostages, which would lead to the end of the war under the existing agreement.<\/li>\n
  2. Dismantling Hamas’ rule in Gaza, which, according to Netanyahu, requires an intense military campaign.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Barak argues that Netanyahu is making a strategic mistake by pushing for the second option, dragging Donald Trump and his advisor Steve Witkoff into a war strategy with no clear endgame. He insists that the only viable way to dismantle Hamas’ rule is to replace it with a legitimate governing body, an idea that Netanyahu has deliberately blocked since October 7 to protect his own political position.<\/p>\n

    A Regional Alternative: Egypt and Saudi Arabia’s Plan<\/h3>\n

    Barak reveals that Egypt and Saudi Arabia have proposed an alternative plan, which involves:<\/p>\n