Opposition Leader Yair Lapid reiterates his pledge to provide the government support to approve a hostage deal, as far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are reportedly threatening to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu’s coalition if a planned offensive in Rafah is called off as part of a hostages-for-ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
“There is a majority among the people and in the Knesset for deal, and if you need to get rid of Ben Gvir and Smotrich I will give you 24 votes in the government,” Lapid writes on X, formerly Twitter, referring to the number of parliamentary seats his Yesh Atid party holds.
“We must bring [the hostages] home.”
In the post, Lapid shares an article from the Ynet news site that quotes an unnamed official involved in the hostage negotiations blaming Netayanhu for holding up a deal, accusing him of expressing support for a deal “in more limited forums” before shifting his position during security cabinet meetings due to political pressure from Smotrich and Ben Gvir.
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