[107303] Sharp criticism by Major General (res.) Nitzan Alon: "The war could have been ended a year earlier"

Sharp criticism by Major General (res.) Nitzan Alon regarding the country's leadership

At the Herzliya Conference held today, July 1, 2026, Major General (res.) Nitzan Alon, the former head of the headquarters for hostages and missing persons, launched a sharp attack against the conduct of the war and the decisions of the political cabinet. His remarks were widely covered by major media outlets, presenting a complex picture of the heavy price paid due to the dragging out of the war.

According to the report on ynet News, Alon argued emphatically that "the war could have been ended a year earlier," and that the Israeli leadership refused to reach early agreements in the name of the concept of "total victory," which Alon termed a "falsehood."

In another report in Israel Hayom, which is often identified with right-wing positions and support for the government, Alon's full remarks were detailed, in which he noted that out of the hostages who were abducted while alive, about 40 people died in captivity. Alon emphasized that "in certain places, we could have perhaps, with different functioning, decisions, or different negotiations, brought them back alive."

As part of his remarks, Alon also referred to Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whom he claimed "opposed some of the agreements at various stages," and therefore "cannot take credit for the return of all the hostages." Alon's positions constitute direct criticism of the political strategy led by Netanyahu throughout this period, clearly contrasting the promises of the political echelon with the reality on the ground as experienced by him as someone who stood at the head of the headquarters for hostages.