Nitzan Alon tells a new story, leaving the facts behind
Nitzan Alon, former head of the Hostage Headquarters, claims that all hostages could have been released a year earlier while preserving the war's achievements. The article calls this claim a 'blatant lie' and details the achievements of that year: the elimination of Sinwar and Deif, control over 70% of the Strip, and dismantling Hamas infrastructure. The author argues that stopping the war would have left Hamas in power and led to another massacre.
Nitzan Alon, who headed the Hostage Headquarters, now claims that all hostages could have been released a year earlier while preserving all the war's achievements. The article calls this claim a 'blatant lie' and 'unprecedented audacity,' arguing that it aligns with the opposition campaign ahead of the October 7 memorial events and the elections. The author details the achievements made in the year Alon demanded to stop the fighting: the elimination of Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, IDF control over about 70% of the Strip's territory, dismantling Hamas battalions, exposing and destroying hundreds of kilometers of tunnels, and destroying Hamas's production infrastructure. The author argues that these achievements would not have occurred if the war had been stopped. It is also claimed that even after releasing all hostages, Israel is not obligated to withdraw from the Strip or end the war, and that pressure remains on Hamas to disarm. The author describes an alternative scenario where stopping the war would have left Sinwar and Deif alive, allowed Hamas to rebuild and rearm, and led to the next massacre. Alon's phrase about 'bloodshed on both sides' is described as adopting the enemy's narrative and a reckless comparison between Hamas terrorists and IDF soldiers. The author concludes that Alon had no place in such a sensitive role.