'It's not working': Israeli opposition leader calls for end to Gaza genocide

Defence affairs

Opposition leader Yair Lapid tells Netanyahu's extremist government to "make a deal" with Hamas, bring back remaining captives and "let Egypt manage" Gaza.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has said that the carnage in Gaza "has reached a dead end," calling it a failure and urging PM Benjamin Netanyahu's extremist government to end it and prioritise securing the release of captives held in Gaza.

"What we are doing in Gaza is not working. The war has reached a stalemate," Lapid wrote on X on Thursday.

"It's time to end the war. Leadership must know when to change strategy when it no longer succeeds."

His remarks follow the killings of seven Israeli soldiers inside an armoured personnel carrier during a Hamas ambush in Khan Younis on Tuesday.

Lapid criticised the government for leaving soldiers "as targets for further attacks" and questioned the ongoing genocide, saying: "No one understands anymore what we are gaining from all this."

He renewed his call for a deal to return Israeli captives — estimated at around 50, with 20 believed to be alive — and proposed involving Egypt in managing Gaza post-war.

"We must let Egypt manage the Strip while the Israeli army redeploys around Gaza to deter threats, stop smuggling, and choke Hamas economically," Lapid said.

He emphasised that defeating Hamas "won't come by draining our soldiers inside Gaza, but through strategy, organisation, and smart timing."

Mickey Levy, member of the Knesset and former Knesset Speaker, threw support behind Lapid, saying, "We must stop."

"This war has turned into a war of attrition without direction. It's time for a deal," Levy said on X.