Israeli opposition leader calls for urgent deal for return of hostages from Gaza

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Sunday called for an urgent prisoner swap deal with Palestinians, saying there are still hostages alive in Gaza.

"The war in Gaza must end, and the hostages must be returned," Lapid said on his X account.

"If it is possible to end the war in Lebanon, then of course it is possible to end the war in Gaza and bring back the hostages,” he added.

Israel reached a cease-fire deal with Lebanon on Nov. 27, ending over 14 months of fighting with the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Israel's “duty is to reach a deal for the return of the hostages,” the opposition leader said.

The Israeli opposition, families of the hostages, and a large portion of the Israeli public have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing a deal with Hamas for the return of the hostages and the end of the Gaza war.

They argue that Netanyahu fears losing his government due to threats from far-right ministers to withdraw from the coalition if such a deal is struck.

Israel estimates that there are 101 hostages being held in Gaza, while Hamas has reported that dozens of them have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed over Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the war.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last October, killing nearly 44,400 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 105,000.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

On Nov. 21, 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 deadly war on Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi.