Israeli opposition accuses Netanyahu of obstructing prisoner swap, Gaza ceasefire deal; demands toppling government
‘To save lives and the country, the government must be brought down,’ says Yair Golan
JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL
Yair Golan, leader of the Israeli Democratic Party, said Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is obstructing a prisoner swap and ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, as he demanded that the government be toppled.
“The New York Times investigation only reinforces what everyone already knows: Netanyahu, (Finance Minister Bazalel Yoel) Smotrich, and (National Security Minister Itamar) Ben Gvir are preventing a deal to survive politically,” Golan wrote on X.
The opposition leader said that “the lives of hostages and soldiers are less important to them than their positions.”
Golan pointed out that Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir are “an extreme minority dragging an entire country into the abyss. They are once again derailing the deal.”
He demanded the government be toppled, saying, "To save lives and the country, the government must be brought down."
The remarks were in response to an investigation Friday by The New York Times that revealed Netanyahu chose his coalition partners and sought to maintain power at the expense of hostage release deals.
Hamas said Wednesday it agreed to release 10 living Israeli captives as a sign of "flexibility" to reaching a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement, while Israel remains rigid on key points, including its withdrawal from Gaza.
In contrast, Israel insists on a buffer zone 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 - 1.9 miles) wide in the Rafah area, and 1 to 2 kilometers in other border areas.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing nearly 58,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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