Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said, in a surprising statement, on Wednesday, that he is ready to join the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, instead of the extremist Ministers of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, and Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, in order to “rescue” the prisoners in the Gaza Strip.

This came in an interview with the private Channel 12, a day after he said that he would provide a “safety net” for the government for any deal that would return the prisoners to their homes.

Lapid said during the interview: “We are ready to join the government instead of Ben Gvir and Smotrich, in order to rescue the kidnapped people.”

For its part, the Likud Party, led by Netanyahu, responded to Lapid’s statement, in a brief statement, in which he said: “Lapid is pushing for an immediate end to the war without achieving complete victory, and we will not agree to that.”

On Tuesday, Lapid pledged, in a blog post on the “X” platform, to provide Netanyahu’s government with a “safety net” for any deal that would return Israeli prisoners from Gaza, in light of Ben Gvir and Smotrich’s rejection of a prisoner exchange deal that includes stopping the war, even for weeks.

Earlier Wednesday, Ben Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, said in a speech in the Knesset, “It is not permissible for Israel to extend a helping hand to an illegal deal, and our soldiers did not fall in vain, and it is forbidden to reach a deal that exposes its security to danger and stops the war.” 

He added: "Hamas must not be allowed to win, and we will not agree to the release of thousands of killers from prisons," as he put it.

On Tuesday, Ben Gvir threatened to dissolve the government if a new deal was reached, expressing his rejection of what he called “American pressure to conclude a deal” to exchange prisoners.

On Sunday, a meeting was held in Paris, with the participation of Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar, to discuss a prisoner exchange deal and stop the war in Gaza, which will take place in three stages, according to Palestinian and American sources.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar are in contact with Israel, while Egypt and Qatar are in contact with Hamas, to reach a second agreement to release Israeli prisoners from Gaza, in exchange for the release of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons and a ceasefire in Gaza.

Tel Aviv estimates that there are about 136 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while it holds at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both parties.

#Yair Lapid