Israeli officials now say Netanyahu's government turned down chances to get hostages back early in the Gaza war — damning for a government that made the hostages its public justification for fighting.

• Israeli reporting says Hamas offered to hand back civilian hostages soon after October 7, and no one in Israel's military or political leadership would discuss it.
• Freeing the hostages was never even written into the war's official goals set that first night.
• An IDF colonel who pushed for a deal says he was told flatly there would be no agreement with Palestinians.
• The same colonel admits the plan was to take the hostages back, then break the deal and resume attacking.
• The charge is that keeping hostages in captivity gave the government its excuse to widen the war and push a greater-Israel land grab.

Outlook: These on-the-record accounts from inside Israel's own security establishment will keep fueling pressure on Netanyahu over how the war was justified.