Watan-Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Tuesday for an end to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, following the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire after 12 days of destructive warfare between the two arch-rivals.
Lapid, who leads the centrist Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) party, posted on X (formerly Twitter):“And now Gaza. This is the right time to address the situation there: bring the hostages home and end the war.”
The Forum of Families of Hostages Held in Gaza since the Hamas-led October 7 surprise attack on southern Israel also issued a statement urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue a Gaza ceasefire.“We call on the government to enter urgent negotiations to return all the hostages and end the war. Whoever reached a ceasefire with Iran can also end the war in Gaza,” the forum said.
Of the 251 people kidnapped during the October attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, with at least 27 believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.
Qatar, the main mediator in Gaza truce talks, announced Tuesday that it is working to restart indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel in the coming days.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said during a joint press conference with Lebanese counterpart Nawaf Salam:“We are exploring an opportunity over the next two days for indirect talks between both sides to reach an agreement.”
He added:“We hope Israel does not use the ceasefire with Iran as a cover to escalate in Gaza and continue its bombardment.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the Iran ceasefire is a “great opportunity” to restore national unity after the deep internal rift caused by the Gaza war.
“This may be a moment for goodwill and national consensus around many painful issues,” Herzog told reporters during a visit to a site hit by an Iranian missile in southern Israel.
Several global leaders expressed hope that the fragile truce between Israel and Iran could pave the way for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israeli bombardments continue.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated:“The time has come for a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.”
The Palestinian presidency also demanded that the ceasefire with Iran be extended to include the Gaza Strip, where conditions are nearing famine and dozens have been killed near aid distribution centers.“Achieving a ceasefire is a crucial step toward peace and stability in the region,” read a statement from the Palestinian Presidency via WAFA, the official news agency.
“We call for this step to be followed by a comprehensive ceasefire that includes Gaza.”
The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,219 people, according to Israeli figures.
Since then, Israel has launched a devastating war on Gaza that has killed 56,077 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the latest figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health
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