Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the international repercussions of developments in Gaza were increasingly isolating Israel.
Speaking Wednesday at an international counterterrorism conference held at Reichman University in Tel Aviv, Lapid argued that Hamas, Qatar and Iran had worked for years to cut Israel off from the world. "They wanted to cut us off from the world. Now the world is cutting itself off from us," he said.
Examples of Israel's growing isolation
Arrest warrants issued in The Hague, searches of Israelis' luggage at airports in the Netherlands, football controversies in Ireland and Eurovision boycotts were among the developments Lapid cited as examples of Israel's international isolation.
Lapid also described some representatives leaving the hall during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the United Nations General Assembly as another sign of the same process.
Lapid said these developments were not happening by chance, arguing that Hamas, Qatar and Iran had worked for years toward this goal and that their plan had ultimately succeeded.
Criticism of the Netanyahu government
Former Prime Minister Lapid had previously criticized the Netanyahu government over the way it managed Israel's international relations.
Netanyahu faces three major corruption trials on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. In 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
Deaths and destruction in Gaza
More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since 2023, more than 175,000 people have been injured, and approximately 90 percent of the infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
The ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, continues to be violated. At least 1,467 people have been killed and 5,161 injured since the ceasefire began.
