Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid addressed the issue of the captives and the continued fighting in Gaza at a Knesset faction meeting today (Monday).
He began the meeting by discussing the hostages. “I delivered a message to the government, by virtue of my position as head of the opposition, per which we will give full backing to any decision and any step and even any price which could lead to the return home of the hostages.”
According to him: “We need to deal with the monsters who kidnapped them on the battlefield, and crush their capabilities, so that it never happens again. We need at the same time to take painful steps so that they return home.”
Lapid: We Will Not Evade Responsibility to Free Them
Lapid told of the nine-month-old baby who was kidnapped to the Gaza Strip. “In the last few weeks, I’ve spoke in the global media about Kfir, nine months old, who was kidnapped. I asked the interviewers again and again, what kind of people kidnap a nine month old baby? Yesterday, they sought to correct me – Kfir is now ten months old. And Maayan is 19, and Yafa is 83. These are your captives, Israel.”
“These are the people we are responsible for and we will not evade that responsibility. It is our duty as a state to return the hostages home. All of them – children and adults, soldiers and civilians, those with foreign citizenship and those with Israeli citizenship. Until the last of the hostages doesn’t come home, the contract between the state and its citizens is broken and our heart is broken and will remain broken.”
“Until they die, the Middle East will not understand that you don’t mess with us”
The Opposition Leader also noted the continuation of fighting against Hamas and its goals: “The political leadership defined the goals of the war as destroying the military infrastructures of Hamas. I agree, of course, but to this we need to add the elimination of Hamas’ leadership.”
Lapid spoke of how there is a duty to eliminate all the Hamas leaders. “The State of Israel must not stop or let up until we kill six people: Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Dief, Ismail Haniyeh, Salah Arouri, Khaled Mashal, and Marwa Issa. All six need to die.”
He also added: “Until they die, Israel will not have avenged the murdered of Be’eri and Sderot, Kfar Azza and Ofakim. Until they die, the Middle East will not understand that you don’t mess with us.”
He ended by saying “the State of Israel needs to reach them, wherever they are.” Whether in Gaza or in other countries, it doesn’t matter. We need to reach them and eliminate them. This is part of the war. This is part of restoring deterrence.”
