Israel’s Lapid scores political points with Gaza operation
Israel's brief operation in Gaza was a military success, but credit to Prime Minister Yair Lapid for it is unlikely to win him the election.
Following press reports that Israel and Islamic Jihad had agreed to a cease-fire with the help of Egyptian mediators, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a brief statement Aug. 7, “A short time ago, I finished assessing the situation from the Defense Ministry's Tel Aviv headquarters. The discussion included a briefing on Operation Breaking Dawn’s moves these last 24 hours, as well as security and civilian assessments for the coming days.”
According to the IDF, 35 Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire during the operation, including 11 civilians. It also said the failed launching of Islamic Jihad rockets caused the death of at least 15 Palestinians. Palestinian reports said 44 civilians were killed. On the Israeli side, 47 people were transported to hospitals, mostly for light injuries. The end of the fire exchange came as a relief to both populations.
Lapid has reason to be pleased, as the successful completion of Operation Breaking Dawn gave him experience in diplomatic and security affairs.
Over the last few years, and especially since the formation of the current government in 2021, Lapid has shown himself to be a talented politician who leads Israel’s second-largest political party. He also earned good marks as foreign minister. Nevertheless, he did not accumulate security experience, and his opponents love to point out that he did not serve in a combat unit while in the army.
