Minister Amichai Eliyahu Blames Former POW Commander Nitzan Alon for Kidnappings and Deaths in Gaza Conflict

On the 1,000th day of the ongoing war, Israeli Minister Amichai Eliyahu accused Major General (res.) Nitzan Alon, former head of the IDF’s POW and Missing Persons Command, of responsibility for the kidnapping and killing of Israeli citizens. Eliyahu claimed that Alon's approach and concept led to failures that allowed Hamas militants to abduct and murder people. He argued that if Israel had withdrawn at stages when Alon advocated retreat, Hamas would have controlled 70% of the Gaza Strip, resulting in even more civilian deaths.

Eliyahu emphasized that Alon's strategy of keeping militants close to the border fence was a critical mistake that caused the disaster. He also noted that as a relatively new political figure, he had warned for 30 years that the Oslo Accords and the disengagement plan would lead to massacres, blaming the leadership behind those policies. Alon, who retired from the IDF in 2019, had recently stated at a Reichman University conference that the political leadership refused prisoner exchange deals in pursuit of a false "absolute victory."

In response to Eliyahu’s accusations, Gadi Eizenkot, former IDF Chief of Staff and chairman of the Israeli Rescue Organization, strongly condemned the minister. Eizenkot called Alon a hero who saved hostages and criticized Eliyahu and his party for opposing hostage rescue deals. He accused Eliyahu of lying and defaming Alon, who was not in his position on the day of the initial attack but immediately assisted afterward. Eizenkot also condemned the entire October 7th cabinet for their failure, naming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several ministers as bearing the stigma of that day’s failures.

The dispute highlights ongoing political tensions over responsibility for the war’s failures and the handling of hostages. Eliyahu’s comments sparked sharp rebuttals from military and political figures defending Alon’s record and criticizing the government’s overall conduct during the conflict.