Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said in an interview with Galei Tzahal that Reserve Brigadier General Nitzan Alon, who served as head of the Hostages Headquarters throughout the war, "is to blame for people being kidnapped." Eliyahu said: "He needs to apologize. In my opinion, he is to blame for people being kidnapped. He and the conception are to blame. People were murdered because of Nitzan Alon and because of this approach that put the terrorists on the fence." Eliyahu made these remarks after Alon criticized the government and said, among other things, that "the cabinet and political leadership refused earlier, more comprehensive hostage deals in the name of that absolute victory, which is essentially a lie."