Israeli opposition leader slams government over return of displaced Gazans to north

JERUSALEM

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized on Tuesday a government decision to allow thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to the northern Gaza Strip.

“The fact that Gazans are returning to their homes before all residents of the Israeli border area near Gaza is heartbreaking evidence that this government is simply incapable of running the country,” he said on his X account.

More than 300,000 displaced civilians have returned to northern Gaza since Monday under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Israel.

Israel allowed the return of the displaced Gazans after Qatar mediated an agreement between Hamas and Israel under which the Palestinian group agreed to release Arbel Yehud and two others before Friday.

So far, the Israeli government has refused to allow illegal Israeli settlers to return to their outposts near the Gaza border.

Israel evacuated thousands of illegal settlers after its war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

The first six-week phase of the truce took effect on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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.