Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Monday said he would support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he reaches a hostage and ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Netanyahu’s coalition government holds 64 out of the 120 seats in the Knesset, meaning only five members would need to quit for it to lose the majority, which would dissolve the government and force elections.
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened that his Jewish Power party, which holds six seats, would quit the government if Netanyahu agrees to a deal with Hamas. Polling shows that Netanyahu would lose if there were new elections, giving him the motive to continue the genocidal war to maintain his hold on power.
Yair Lapid, who leads the Yesh Atid party, which holds 24 seats in the Knesset, has previously offered to bail Netanyahu out if he reached a hostage deal and coalition members quit.
“There’s a hostage deal on the table. It is not true that Netanyahu has to choose between the hostage deal and his continued tenure as prime minister. I promised him a safety net, and I will keep that promise,” Lapid said, according to The Times of Israel.
“This is not an easy statement, and it is not an easy decision. Netanyahu is a bad, failed prime minister, and he is to blame for the October 7 disaster, but the most important thing is to bring the kidnapped people back home,” he added.
Lapid also criticized Netanyahu for releasing a list of “non-negotiable” demands for a hostage deal ahead of renewed indirect talks with Hamas. Included in the list is a requirement that Israel will be able to restart military operations in Gaza, but Hamas’s primary demand has been a permanent ceasefire.
According to media reports, Qatari and Egyptian have gotten Hamas to soften its stance and accept vague enough language that Israel could accept without actually committing to a permanent ceasefire. But Israeli officials say that by explicitly ruling out a permanent truce in his list of demands, Netanyahu was trying to sabotage the chances of a deal.
Oh they tangled webs they weave, the powerful amonst each other, it's only the fate of the living world at stake …
“…..According to Israel’s Channel 12, the Israeli army has recently conducted an assessment of Hamas’ military capabilities, in answer to the question: can Hamas repeat its October 7 operation after nearly ten months of war?
“If the war stops, Hamas is still able to launch an attack near the border and may be able to cross it,” the Israeli channel said, citing the report.
As far as its military buildup is concerned, the Israeli army believes that Hamas has managed to rehabilitate tunnels in the Khan Yunis area and that its tunnels in central Gaza remain largely intact.
Hamas is also in good condition in the Shejaiya neighborhood, north of Gaza, and in Rafah, in the south.
It is unclear how the Israeli army managed to reach such conclusions, considering its ability to gather the kind of intelligence that would allow it to defeat or even weaken the Resistance.
In his first appearance in weeks, Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, said that all 24 battalions of the Resistance are in very good condition and that the Resistance has recruited thousands of new fighters in recent months.
He also said that most of the weapons used by the Resistance are being manufactured at home…..”
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israel-assesses-hamas-resistance-roundup-day-276/
Other than what he said, is there any evidence at all to support that Netanyahu was doing all he was doing for the safety of the hostages?
"Other than what he said, is there any evidence at all to support that Netanyahu was doing all he was doing for the safety of the hostages?"
On the contrary, Netanyahu is working streneously against the interests of the hostages. First, the IDF bombing campaign is killing the hostages. Second, Netanyahu is doing everything he can to block a hostage deal that would free the surviving hostages.
Netanyahu is a political animal soley devoted to his own interests. To Netanyahu, the hostages are merely an inconvience.
Agreed 100%, with two friendly suggestions. First, I would personally replace animal with monster. And second, I would replace inconvenience with excuse. But that’s just my opinion.
Actually, the hostages are both an inconvenience, and an excuse. They are an inconvenience because their continued existence somewhat constrains his actions, and because they cause him political problems. The hostages are an excuse because their kidnapping can be used to justify ethnic cleansing, and genocide.
Absolutely. I’m with you.
According to media reports, Qatari and Egyptian have gotten Hamas to soften its stance and accept vague enough language that Israel could accept without actually committing to a permanent ceasefire.
If the language for a permanent cease fire isn't etched in stone and as precise as language could possibly be than Hamas would be foolish to accept anything else. When dealing with the peerless state sponsor of terrorism, Israel, one must leave out any ambiguity.
No matter what kind of stone any ceasefire agreement is etched in, I doubt the Israeli regime can be trusted to maintain it for very long … so why not take what they can get even if it’s just a temporary respite?
Good point.
If Hamas gives up the hostages in order to gain a tempory respite, they will have nothing to bargain with, and the Israelis can resume slaughtering the residents of Gaza with even greater fury.