Lapid: Occupying Gaza is bad idea, we will pay heavy price in lives, money

OCCUPIED PALESTINE, Aug. 06 (YPA) – Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid, said that he informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their recent meeting that the idea of occupying the Gaza Strip is very bad and widely rejected in the Israeli street.

Lapid added in statements to reporters after the meeting: “I told Netanyahu clearly that occupying Gaza will exact a heavy price in terms of lives and money, and it is an option that lacks any real political or security horizon.”

Lapid revealed that he proposed to Netanyahu a different alternative, which is to “involve Egypt in managing the affairs of the Gaza Strip after the end of the war, in exchange for maintaining the freedom of action of the Israeli army to strike Hamas and end its security threat.”

The opposition leader indicated that continuing military operations without a clear exit strategy will increase the occupation’s international isolation and multiply the threats on the southern front, calling for the adoption of regional solutions that preserve Israel’s security and prevent it from sinking into the quagmire of a long-term occupation.