Friday, October 2, 2026 - Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has described a recent meeting with a group of young Israelis who, according to his account, expressed support for killing Palestinians in Gaza, including babies.
Speaking in a podcast interview, Lapid said the group claimed there were no innocent people in Gaza. When he asked whether their position included babies, he said they responded that babies could also be killed because they might eventually grow up to become terrorists.
Lapid described the encounter as painful and used it to criticize what he sees as increasingly extreme rhetoric surrounding the Gaza war.
He also criticized government ministers, including Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, over previous comments about the conflict. Eliyahu called in 2023 for consideration of using a nuclear weapon against Gaza, a statement that drew international condemnation.
The opposition leader also questioned the Israeli government's approach to countries that criticize its policies, arguing that cutting diplomatic ties is less effective than engaging directly with critics.
His comments come as the war in Gaza and the political debate surrounding Israel's conduct continue to draw intense international attention. Lapid's account of the young people's remarks was presented as his own recollection of the meeting rather than as evidence that the views represent Israeli youth generally.
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