Israeli opposition leader vows ‘safety net’ for government for any hostage deal with Hamas

JERUSALEM

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid pledged Tuesday to give the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "safety net" for any hostage deal with Hamas.

''Returning the abductees is our duty to them and their families, or else something fundamental will erode in our bond with one another,'' Lapid said on X.

"We will give the government a safety net for any deal that will bring the abductees back home," he added.

There has been no comment from Netanyahu on Lapid's statements.

The White House said Monday that negotiators seeking to broker a deal for the release of additional hostages held by Hamas have developed a “framework” that could lead to an eventual deal.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the proposal includes the release of 35 Israeli hostages in return for a 6-week cease-fire in Gaza and the release of thousands of Palestinian detainees.

On Tuesday, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh confirmed that his group is studying a proposal for a cease-fire deal with Israel.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Tuesday threatened to bring down the government in the event of reaching a “reckless” deal with Hamas.

Hamas is believed to be holding nearly 136 Israelis following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, killing at least 26,751 Palestinians and injuring 65,636. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio