Opposition party heads Lapid, Golan call for end to fighting after announcement of Iran ceasefire

By Sam Sokol 24 June 2025, 9:31 am

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. 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"

(L) Yesh Atid leader MK Yair Lapid leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on May 12, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) and (R) The Democrats party leader Yair Golan holds a press conference in Tel Aviv, May 20, 2025 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and The Democrats chairman Yair Golan both call for an end to fighting in Gaza, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

“And now Gaza. It’s time to [finish] there too. Return the hostages, end the war. Israel needs to start rebuilding,” Lapid says in a statement.

“The campaign against Iran ended with a clear security achievement, which would not have been possible if Israel were not a democratic, strong, and united state. The ceasefire agreement must now be scrutinized: Does it prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and what sanctions, including renewed fighting, will be imposed if it is violated,” Golan posts on X.

“And now is the time to complete the mission: Return all the hostages, end the war in Gaza, and stop once and for all the coup that threatens to make Israel weak, divided, and vulnerable,” Golan says.