The leader of Israel's largest opposition party, Yair Lapid, stated today (Monday) that he "will support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in parliament to remain in his position if members of his governing coalition resign due to a ceasefire agreement." Netanyahu has given his officials permission to resume negotiations for a potential agreement with Hamas to end the fighting in Gaza and to secure the release of Israeli hostages taken by the group on October 7.
Some members from the far-right faction within Netanyahu's coalition have stated they will withdraw if the war in Gaza ends before Hamas is defeated and the hostages are freed, a situation that could lead to the collapse of the Israeli Prime Minister's government. Lapid added, "Let him complete the agreement... I promised him that I would support him, and I will keep that promise," referring to the potential withdrawal of Netanyahu’s coalition partners.
He further noted that "this decision was difficult for him due to his opposition to Netanyahu, but the top priority is to bring the hostages home." According to the Israeli parliament's website, the two far-right parties in Netanyahu's coalition, which strongly oppose a ceasefire agreement, hold 13 seats in parliament, while Lapid's party has 24 seats.
