Lapid: Israel’s ministers are arguing while our soldiers are being killed in Gaza

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said yesterday that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “has lost control,” adding, “soldiers are killed every day in Gaza, and they [politicians] fight among themselves on television.”

This came following a speech by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in which he called on Netanyahu to confirm that Israel is not moving towards establishing military rule in the Gaza Strip. He also called for finding a Palestinian alternative to Hamas that would be accepted by the Arabs.

In a post on X, Lapid said, “The government has lost control. Soldiers are killed every day in Gaza, and they fight among themselves on television,” referring to speeches by Netanyahu and a number of right-wing ministers who called on the latter to dismiss the defence minister.

Earlier on Wednesday, Netanyahu called on Gallant to eliminate Hamas “without excuses,” in response to the latter’s demand that “Palestinian elements supported by Arab countries control the Gaza Strip,” in reference to the Palestinian Authority.

Lapid added in his post: “The cabinet is disassembled and non-functional. Ministers protest in front of cabinet meetings.”

On 5 May a number of ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, left the weekly government session to join a demonstration organised by settlers to demand the war on Gaza continue.

“One cabinet sends aid trucks and the other burns them,” he added, highlighting the polarised views contained within the government.

On Monday, settlers burned aid trucks heading from Jordan to Gaza through the occupied West Bank; looting their contents in full view of the Israeli army.

Lapid also warned that “Relations with the Americans are collapsing, the middle class is collapsing, they have lost the north [areas near the border with Lebanon] … You can’t go on like this. We will not win with this government.”

Disagreements are deepening on the military and political levels within Israel as the devastating war on Gaza continues for the eighth month without achieving its goals.

Read: Israel committing genocide in Gaza, new study concludes