Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Wednesday sharply criticized the ceasefire with Iran, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of suffering a political and strategic defeat after failing to achieve Israel’s stated war objectives.
In a statement posted on X, Lapid said Israel had been sidelined from critical decision-making despite the conflict centering on its national security concerns.
“There has never been a political disaster like this in our entire history,” Lapid wrote, adding that Netanyahu had failed politically and strategically despite the military carrying out its assigned tasks.
Opposition Says Core Objectives Unmet
Netanyahu had framed the conflict as essential to neutralising what he called Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threats.
His government set out goals including eliminating or severely degrading Iran’s nuclear programme, curbing Tehran’s missile capabilities, weakening the Iranian regime and reducing its regional influence through strikes on allied groups.
Lapid argued none of those objectives were fully achieved and said Israel would spend years repairing the resulting political and strategic damage.
He accused Netanyahu of arrogance, negligence and poor strategic planning in handling the conflict and ceasefire negotiations.
Truce Deepens Domestic Debate
The criticism came after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire in a last-minute effort to prevent wider regional destruction threatened by US President Donald Trump.
Israel publicly backed Washington’s decision to suspend bombing operations against Iran. However, Israeli officials clarified that the truce does not apply to Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israel continues military operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah after the Lebanese group launched rocket attacks in March.
The ceasefire has intensified debate within Israel over whether the conflict delivered meaningful strategic gains or ended before key objectives were met.
