Gaza war could have ended a year earlier, achieved more Hamas disarmament, ex-hostage chief says
An overlong war led to huge unnecessary losses in fallen soldiers and the death of up to 40 hostages, former lead hostage negotiations coordinator Maj.-Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon said
Assessment
A former senior Israeli negotiator publicly breaks ranks, claiming the current Gaza campaign could have concluded with greater disarmament of Hamas a year ago. This raises serious internal questions about the war's strategic timeline and the human cost of prolonging the operation. The stark estimate of avoidable deaths will likely fuel domestic political pressure for clearer exit benchmarks.