**As Criticism and Anger Rise in Israel Against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Over Ceasefire Negotiations, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid Intensifies Criticism**
As criticism and anger escalate within Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly obstructing a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli captives, opposition leader Yair Lapid has renewed his criticism.
Lapid has accused the Prime Minister of always finding excuses to continue the war, from his previous insistence on maintaining military control over the Rafah crossing to the current situation with the Philadelphia Route (Salah al-Din Axis). In a television interview on Israeli Channel 13 on Tuesday, Lapid said, “The only thing that concerns him is not collapsing the government.”
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Lapid also suggested that “Netanyahu should be cautious when talking about enhancing Hamas’s capabilities while indiscriminately assigning blame.” He stated, “No one in the history of the country has done more to empower Hamas than Netanyahu.” Additionally, Lapid accused Netanyahu of “delivering briefcases full of dollars” to destabilize the Palestinian Authority and deepen the rift between the two parties.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had previously criticized Netanyahu’s insistence on maintaining control over the Philadelphia Route, which became a major sticking point in ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. Gallant warned that “prioritizing this axis over the lives of hostages is a moral disgrace.”
This criticism comes as Israeli protesters took to the streets for the second consecutive day on Monday, with the largest labor union organizing a general strike to pressure the government into reaching an agreement.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian activists and opponents of U.S. support for Israel also staged a protest in New York City.
U.S. President Joe Biden has explicitly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, asserting that he is not doing enough to secure the release of the captives. Netanyahu had reiterated his stance of not withdrawing from the Philadelphia Route just hours after the announcement of the killing of six Israeli captives held by Hamas, which intensified Israeli criticism against him.
So far, several months of intermittent negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have failed to reach an agreement on a ceasefire proposal put forward by Biden in May for the devastated Palestinian territory.
By/radwa sherif ✏️✏️📚