Lapid (right) demanded Netanyahu’s departure and early elections (Reuters)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that the Israeli government has failed for 6 months to return Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip, and demanded the government’s departure and early elections.

This came in a blog post he published on his account on the

Lapid said that the ministers of the government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu were taking turns attacking the families of the kidnapped people on air on television stations, adding, "They have lost their minds."

He continued, addressing the ministers, "Are you crazy? Girls, the elderly, and children were kidnapped during your rule, and for half a year you failed to return them to their families, and then you blame their families?"

He described Netanyahu's government as a "government of destruction" and called for its departure and immediate elections.

“The protests are a gift to Hamas”

Earlier on Sunday morning, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu attacked the families of the detainees after a massive demonstration they organized on Saturday evening in Tel Aviv in which they called on the government to resign.

Eliyahu told Israeli Channel 12 that the protest, which he described as violent, represents a gift to the Hamas movement, and that its effect is adverse and would weaken the morale of Israeli soldiers on the battlefront.

Since yesterday evening, Saturday, Israel has witnessed huge demonstrations across the country in which tens of thousands of people participated, to pressure the Netanyahu government to conclude an exchange deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and hold early elections.

During the past weeks, many demonstrations took place in Israel demanding that Netanyahu leave power and hold early elections.

The protesters hold Netanyahu responsible for failing to confront the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance against the occupation on October 7th.

Israeli segments believe that Netanyahu is obstructing reaching a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, and aims to prolong the war for fear of accountability and the collapse of his political future.

An Israeli delegation is expected to head to Egypt today, Sunday, to resume indirect negotiations with Hamas. The delegation includes representatives of the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security service, and the military intelligence agency Aman, according to what was reported by Israeli Channel 12.

Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia