Former Hostages Chief: Israel Could Have Freed Captives a Year Earlier

Nitzan Alon, the former head of the Hostages and Missing Persons Directorate, stated that Israel could have secured the return of all hostages approximately one year earlier while still achieving similar strategic gains. Speaking at a Washington Institute for Near East Policy event, Alon argued that the intensive two-year military campaign could have yielded comparable strategic results much sooner.

Alon suggested that this earlier resolution might have also saved the lives of some hostages who died in captivity. He described the war as "too long" and speculated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decisions regarding the conflict's end were influenced by a combination of strategic, political, and possibly personal considerations.

"I am quite sure we could have and should have shortened the war, brought all the hostages home perhaps a year earlier and moved on, and perhaps also saved thousands of lives on both sides of the fighting," Alon stated. He added that some hostages who were held and killed in Gaza might have returned to their families alive.

Alon criticized the current government, asserting that Israel needs leadership that realistically assesses the situation and offers genuine hope, not illusions. He called for a leadership that provides a balanced and practical plan to address the nation's security and economic challenges, rather than relying on slogans like "absolute victory." Alon concluded by emphasizing the need for different leadership to implement these necessary changes. He also mentioned that the demonstrations advocating for the hostages' release provided him with strength during this difficult period.