IDF hostages recovery chief Maj.-Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon has informed Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir that he will be returning to civilian life in the coming days.
Alon served as commander of the Central Command from 2012-2015, as commander of the Operations Command from 2015-2018, and retired from the military after 34 years in early 2019.
He was called back to head up the newly created Hostages and Missing Persons Directorate in the early days after October 7.
The major-general has been credited with coordinating a massive intelligence apparatus to track the status of all of the living and deceased hostages as they were continually moved throughout the war.
Alon was constant advocate for hostage deals thoughout the war
Also, throughout the war, he was a constant advocate for cutting more and faster deals to return more hostages, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vetoed many deals, saying Hamas’s conditions were too high or problematic.
In February, he was sidelined from the hostage negotiations by Netanyahu in favor of Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, but continued to head the hostage intelligence apparatus, as well as coordinating aspects of medical and psychological issues for the hostages.
Netanyahu’s personal hostage coordinator, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, will take over the apparatus, though only eight deceased hostages remain outstanding.