Israeli Opposition, Hostage Families Urge for Ceasefire in Gaza

Tel Aviv, MINA – Following a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Israeli opposition leaders and families of hostages are urging for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, demanding the government to prioritize diplomacy and secure the release of captives.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, publicly urged the Israeli government to shift focus to ending the Gaza conflict.

“Now Gaza. It is time to end it there as well. Bring the hostages home. End the war,” Lapid wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a leading advocacy group representing families of those abducted by Hamas, issued a similar appeal.

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“We urge the government to immediately engage in negotiations that will secure the return of all hostages and bring the war to a close,” the group said in a statement, emphasizing that the same efforts used to de-escalate tensions with Iran could be applied in Gaza.

According to the Israeli military, of the 251 people taken hostage in October 2023, 49 remain in captivity in Gaza, including 27 who are presumed dead.

Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani confirmed that Qatar continues to mediate indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

“We are still making efforts and, God willing, we will explore opportunities over the next two days to restart indirect talks between both parties,” he said.

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog also weighed in, calling the recent ceasefire with Iran a “historic opportunity” to foster national unity amid political divisions intensified by the ongoing war in Gaza.

“I believe this could be a turning point and a chance to reach national consensus on critical and painful issues,” Herzog told reporters during a visit to one of the Iranian missile impact sites in southern Israel.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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