The diplomatic efforts underway between Israel and Gaza and Lebanon “are largely ineffective… half-baked in terms of what we will actually achieve,” Brig.-Gen. (res.) Oren Avman told 103FM on Friday.
Avman, who is a former commander of the Kfir Brigade, made these comments when weighing in on a recent report that said Prime Minister Netanyahu permitted former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to maintain direct contact with Hamas officials during the war.
He added, “I don’t know if we’re being played or if a false reality is being manufactured – on top of the state’s overall conduct, which already draws plenty of valid criticism – but in this false narrative, we’re pretending to run a process that will ultimately disarm Hamas.”
Avman noted further: “Over the last generation, state entities have virtually ceased to exist in our strategic reality. We have to recognize that – it’s been the case for over 25 years.”
Despite his criticism, Avman emphasized that he does not reject diplomacy itself. “Diplomatic efforts and dialogue are always vital and must continue regardless. The real question is where they ultimately lead and whether we are being forced to compromise on essentials,” he said.
“The diplomatic efforts of 2026 must persist. We are in a completely different era. Over the last generation, we negotiated with Arafat and the Palestinian Authority, reached understandings with Hezbollah following Operations Accountability and Grapes of Wrath as well as the Second Lebanon War, and now, in one way or another, we are pursuing understandings with Hamas.”
‘When human lives are on the line, it’s legitimate to negotiate with the devil’
Avman’s skepticism of the diplomatic process stopped short of criticizing the diplomatic process when it comes to the lives of hostages.
“When saving human lives is on the line, especially regarding the hostages following our terrible failure on October 7 – it is legitimate to negotiate even with the devil,” he said.
“As long as we succeed in bringing them home safely, you make deals with enemies, not friends, just like prisoner exchanges between sovereign states. That’s why I draw a clear line between an operation aimed at saving lives, like the hostage situation, and all these recent reports about talks before and after, funding, Qatar, and the like.”
‘The IDF in Lebanon is like Home Alone 2’
Turning to the Lebanese front, Avman sharply criticized the lack of a clear political objective. “Regarding the talks on Lebanon, the IDF finds itself in a ‘Home Alone 2’ situation – full of holes like Swiss cheese, operating without a clear political compass while locked in localized battles of attrition,” he said.
“The question is whether we’re stuck in a game of ping-pong – they launch a drone, we scramble F-16s or hit back somehow. The IDF is bogged down in a security zone, and when it comes to dealing with Hezbollah, the problem is that reality is dictating our actions instead of us shaping reality.”
In closing, Avman highlighted two core issues that he believes plague Israel across all fronts.
“Looking at all fronts, there are two underlying drivers. One is decision-making paralysis, and the second, highly problematic driver is the immense strain on the IDF, coupled with a complete lack of grasp of the reality facing reserve, career, and active-duty soldiers. Managing these two factors simultaneously makes this an extraordinarily complex situation.”