GAZA: Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday urged an end to more than 20 months of war in Gaza, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting calls to halt the fighting.
Following the swift conclusion of Israel’s war against Iran with a ceasefire last week, foreign leaders such as US President Donald Trump as well as Israeli ex-prime minister Naftali Bennett have pressed Netanyahu to find a similar off-ramp in the fight with Hamas.
“There is no longer any benefit for the State of Israel from continuing the war in Gaza. Only damage on the security, political and economic level,” Lapid told a meeting of lawmakers from his parliamentary group.
“This is also the position of the army,” he added.
“Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir appeared before the cabinet yesterday and said that the political echelon needs to decide on the next objective. The meaning of this sentence is, the army has no more objectives in Gaza.”
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
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Israel has vowed to destroy the Islamist movement, but after more than a year and a half of devastating war, Hamas is still hanging on in the Gaza Strip.
“Hamas will not be eliminated as long as an alternative government is not brought into Gaza,” Lapid said, suggesting enlisting the help of Egypt and other Arab countries.
A public opinion poll published the day after Tuesday’s ceasefire with Iran by public broadcaster Kan showed that nearly two-thirds of respondents wanted the Gaza war to end.
Following the Iran ceasefire, Israel’s army chief said the military’s focus would shift back to Gaza.
Netanyahu said Sunday that the successful Iran campaign had created “opportunities”, including for freeing the hostages.
“Of course, we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both goals,” he added.
Palestinian militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Of these, 49 are still believed to be held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 56,531 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.