Israeli public supports ending Gaza war, return of captives, says opposition leader

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Tuesday that there is "unprecedented public support" for the return of captives from Gaza and ending the war on the Palestinian enclave.

"There is unprecedented support from the public and opposition for the return of the captives and ending the war (on Gaza)," he told local radio 103 FM.

Lapid called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act to serve Israel's interests, not those of his political group.

"The fact that the captives have not yet returned to their homes is a failure of the current government," he said.

Lapid called for establishing an alternative government to Hamas in Gaza.

"If we do not start to find an alternative inside Gaza, Hamas will always return," he said.

The opposition leader insisted that Israel has no security interest in Gaza.

"Our presence there today means that we are not concluding a comprehensive hostage deal, and this contradicts the political interest of Israel," he added.

Without giving details, Lapid said that Israel should have formulated an international coalition to rule Gaza months ago.

"Do we want an infinite war?" he asked.

The Israeli opposition and families of the captives accuse Netanyahu of obstructing efforts to reach a prisoner swap deal with Palestinian factions.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange agreement have so far failed due to Netanyahu's refusal to halt the war.

Israel holds over 10,300 Palestinians in its prisons, while around 100 Israelis are held by Hamas in Gaza. The Palestinian group says dozens of the Israeli captives had died in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes on the enclave.

The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed almost 46,000 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.