Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, expressing cautious optimism regarding negotiations to release hostages held in Gaza.
Lapid acknowledged the complexity of the situation but remained hopeful about the prospects for a resolution. Discussions have been underway in Egypt, aiming to secure the release of hostages and establish a temporary ceasefire.
Lapid’s visit to Washington coincides with growing pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning the Gaza conflict.
Families of the hostages have urged the government to take more decisive action following Hamas’ deadly attack on October 7, which initiated the Israeli offensive. Lapid assured the Israeli government of opposition support if necessary to facilitate the hostage release.
However, he refrained from exploring domestic political matters while in the U.S., avoiding commentary on calls for national elections made by fellow opposition figure Benny Gantz.
President Joe Biden‘s recent admonitions to Netanyahu regarding conditioning U.S. support on humanitarian efforts in Gaza were acknowledged by Lapid.
He stressed Israel’s commitment to minimizing civilian casualties in the conflict while confronting a terrorist organization exploiting civilians as shields.
