Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid tells Netanyahu to accept Gaza truce deal
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire proposal mediated by the US.
The call comes as a number of Israeli politicians voice their opposition to Israel's continued military operations in Gaza.
“Israel must publicly and immediately accept the outline published this morning by American mediator Steve Witkoff,” Lapid posted on X.
US envoy Witkoff's proposal involves the exchange of Israeli captives held by Hamas for Palestinians held by Israel and a temporary ceasefire that would lead to talks for an end to the conflict.
“I remind Netanyahu: He has a full safety net from me to accept the outline, even if [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben Gvir and [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich try to torpedo it.”
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Extreme right figures within Netanyahu's already far-right cabinet like Ben Gvir and Smotrich have conditioned their support of the Israeli prime minister on an expansionist position both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
In remarks made while celebrating Israel's occupation of the old city of Jerusalem earlier this week, Smotrich doubled down on his intent to settle Gaza with Israelis and the expulsion of its Palestinian population.
"We are conquering the Land of Israel, liberating Gaza, settling Gaza, and defeating the enemy," Smotrich said to crowds that had chanted "death to Arabs" as they marched through Jerusalem's Old City and attacked Palestinians.
"With God's help, we will expand Israel's borders, bring about complete redemption, and rebuild the Temple here," he said, referring to al-Aqsa Mosque, which settlers raided earlier on Monday.
That posture has irked figures in Israel's centre, who are worried that the Netanyahu' government's aggressive posture on Gaza and Palestinians generally is threatening Israel's international standing.
Last week, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert condemned his country's actions in Gaza, accusing the government of killing innocent Palestinians.
In a BBC interview on Tuesday, Olmert, who served as the prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, said what Israel was doing in Gaza is "very close to a war crime".
He told the network that the “obvious appearance” of the war on Gaza is that "thousands of innocent Palestinians are being killed, as well as many Israeli soldiers," adding that "from every point of view, this is obnoxious and outrageous.
"The war has no objective and has no chance of achieving anything that could save the lives of the hostages... We are fighting Hamas murderers, we are not fighting innocent civilians, and this must be clear," Olmert said.
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