In Israel, cracks are widening following the resumption of attacks on the Gaza Strip. The opposition harshly criticized the decision, emphasizing that political interests were behind it. Opposition leaders pointing out the timing of the attacks accused the Netanyahu government of “abandoning prisoners.”

Opposition politicians in Israel highlighted the controversial political steps, such as the dismissal of Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shadows the renewed attacks on Gaza.

“PUT COUNTRY BACK INTO WAR” Leader of the main opposition Yair Lapid emphasized on his X account that the public does not trust Netanyahu, who put the country back into “war.” Referring to Netanyahu’s reasoning of “personal mistrust” for dismissing Shin Bet Director Bar, Lapid expressed that an overwhelming majority of the Israeli citizens similarly harbor a “deep sense of mistrust” towards the Prime Minister.

“NOT THINKING OF ISRAELI PRISONERS’ FATE” Lapid stressed the need for a reliable Israeli army that thinks only of the country’s security and the fate of Israeli prisoners and underlined that Netanyahu lacks this. “POLITICAL INTERESTS BEHIND DECISION” National Unity Party Member of Parliament and former Minister of Science, Technology, and Space Orit Farkash-Hacohen highlighted in her X post that political interests lay behind the resumption of attacks on Gaza. Hacohen urged the government to put an end to its efforts to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar.

“WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE CAPTURED?” Democratic Party MP Naama Lazimi, with her post “What will happen to the captured?” pointed to the uncertainty regarding the fate of Israeli captives in Gaza. “NETANYAHU CHOSE WAR AND DESTRUCTION” The Israeli opposition accused Prime Minister Netanyahu, who resumed attacks on Gaza, of trying to bring back extreme right-wing former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the government before the 2025 budget vote, on the day an armistice and a prisoner exchange agreement came into effect. Member of the Israeli Parliament of Palestinian origin, Eymen Avde, emphasized in his post that Netanyahu, by opting for “more war and destruction,” tried to bring back Ben-Gvir to the government. Avde used the expression, “Netanyahu chose to bring back Ben Gvir, thereby choosing more war and destruction, abandoning the fate of the captured, sanctifying death, and continuing the cult of blood.”

RESIGNED AFTER THE CEASEFIRE Extreme right-winger Ben-Gvir resigned along with other ministers of the Jewish Power Party in the cabinet as the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement started to be implemented in Gaza. Ben-Gvir insisted on returning to the government as a condition for the resumption of attacks on the Gaza Strip. ISRAELI ARMY BROKE THE TRUCE The Israeli army broke the ceasefire and resumed severe attacks on Gaza. After the truce that came into effect on January 19 in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army resumed its severe attacks. In the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip on March 18 morning, at least 400 people, most of whom were women and children, lost their lives, and over 500 Palestinians were wounded. FAMILIES OF PRISONERS EXPRESS ANGER Families of Israeli prisoners held in the Gaza Strip accused the Netanyahu government of “abandoning prisoners” and stated that the government’s justification for restarting the war due to bringing back the captives was “a complete deception.” Opposition parties in Israel also drew attention to the fact that attacks resumed under the shadows of controversial political steps by Prime Minister Netanyahu, such as dismissing the Shin Bet Director.