Ex-Israeli general says Gaza war could have ended a year earlier

A former Israeli general who was responsible for coordinating hostage negotiations at the start of the Gaza war says Israel could have reached an agreement to free all Israeli captives much earlier, potentially saving lives and shortening the conflict.

Major General Nitzan Alon, who served as the Israeli military's point person on hostage negotiations, said on Friday that an agreement could have been reached about a year earlier than the deal eventually concluded in October 2025.

"I think that we could have gotten to this point much earlier, maybe a year earlier or so, without any major implication on the other strategic goals of the war," Alon said.

"We missed it, actually. The war was too long."

Alon was speaking during a Washington Institute for Near East Policy webcast held to mark three years since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which was followed by Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

He rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's argument that Israel needed to achieve "total victory" before agreeing to a hostage deal.

According to Alon, the ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 represented a strategic achievement because it reduced Hamas's military capabilities. However, he argued that a similar outcome could have been achieved considerably earlier.

He also suggested that an earlier agreement might have resulted in more Israeli captives returning home alive.

"We could have - and we should have - shortened the war, brought all the hostages back, maybe a year earlier, and moved forward and maybe, you know, saved thousands of lives on both sides," Alon said.

Under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, Israel and Hamas carried out a prisoner and hostage exchange involving the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and 20 Israeli captives from Gaza.

Alon had previously made similar comments in July, when he also criticised Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over his opposition to some proposed agreements during the negotiations.

Former diplomat says delay was tragic

Former Israeli diplomat Alan Pinkas also told the Washington Institute panel that an agreement could have been reached soon after the October 2023 Hamas attack.

"A deal was possible very soon after the Hamas attack in October 2023," Pinkas said.

"It took almost two years before the hostages were returned, so it's not just a missed opportunity, it's tragic."

His comments followed remarks earlier in the week by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who said Israeli officials had rejected an early proposal from Hamas involving the release of all captives in return for a limited ceasefire.

Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar had contacted Israeli officials immediately after the October 7 attacks and conveyed a proposal for a temporary ceasefire that would allow civilians to leave Gaza.

He said Israeli officials were not interested in pursuing the proposal at the time.

Alon's comments come less than a month before Israel's October 27 legislative election, with the political contest expected to be closely fought.

Pinkas said Alon's assessment was unlikely to significantly alter the political landscape because public dissatisfaction with the government over the October 7 attacks was already reflected in polling.

The Israeli government has also faced renewed scrutiny following a report by Haaretz alleging that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had warned Netanyahu about a possible attack before October 7.

Netanyahu has rejected the report as false and fabricated and has said he intends to sue the newspaper.