Amit Segal Criticizes Retired General Nitzan Alon for Calling Israel’s War Outcome a ‘Lie’

Amit Segal, a news commentator for Channel 12, sharply criticized retired Major General Nitzan Alon for his comments regarding Israel’s handling of the hostage situation and military achievements during the recent war. Alon had described the idea of a complete victory as a "lie," prompting Segal to respond that while Alon might be right about that, the alternative was a "total defeat," which was the deal initially proposed.

Segal explained that Alon’s claim that all hostages could have been returned is true but questioned the cost, describing a scenario involving a full withdrawal to the perimeter, international guarantees against renewed conflict, and humanitarian aid to Gaza that would have been exploited by Hamas to rebuild tunnels. This, Segal argued, would have amounted to a total defeat for Israel.

According to Segal, the Israeli government rightly opposed such a deal until it secured an arrangement that Alon never had access to, where the Israel Defense Forces control nearly 70% of the territory, Hamas is cornered and isolated from its external backers, and Iran is no longer supporting it. While not a total victory, Segal said this outcome is much closer to success.

Segal also challenged Alon’s assertion that 40 hostages could have been saved, stating there is no evidence to support that number. He said the figure mixes hostages accidentally shot, those killed as the IDF approached, and those murdered on October 7 or afterward. Segal questioned whether Alon implied that hostages like Shiri Bibas and her children could have been saved, acknowledging it might have been possible but only at the terrible cost of a total Hamas victory.