Lapid: Hostage deal must be fully implemented, ‘our goal isn’t to return to war’

Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid attends a Knesset committee meeting on January 14, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid attends a Knesset committee meeting on January 14, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The ceasefire agreement with Hamas “must be implemented in full, until the last of the hostages returns to their families,” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid tells reporters ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.

“Contrary to the government’s position, our goal is not to return to war. The goal is to rebuild Israeli deterrence, the Israeli economy, Israeli society. It’s time to get back to life,” Lapid argues, stating the national mission is to make Israel “the best country in the world to raise children.”

“After the two terrible years in our history, the war must end, calm must return to our lives. We need to build the army in line with the new challenges, recruit the ultra-Orthodox, invest in reservists. It’s a long process,” he says.

“We need to rearrange the map of the Middle East… We need to go for the Saudi deal, build a regional coalition against Iran, create an alternative government in Gaza. For this to happen, the IDF needs to prepare the borders with beefed-up forces, and allow us years of peace and rebuilding.”

Asked by reporters if he would enter the government to ensure the deal does not collapse after the first stage, Lapid replies that there is no need because the agreement is still in effect. He declines to state what the “safety net” he has repeatedly promised Netanyahu would entail.

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