Israel's leader of the opposition said on Monday that the future of the conflict in Lebanon depended on disarming Hezbollah.
Yair Lapid was addressing the Atlantic Council in Washington, before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House this week.
"Everything depends on disarming Hezbollah ... a country that doesn't have a monopoly on military power is not a real country," he said in response to a question from The National.
Mr Lapid said that while his country would continue to fight Hezbollah "whenever necessary", it would also encourage any political dialogue with the Lebanese government.
"I see no reason for us not to sign a peace agreement with Lebanon," he said, but added that a full Israeli withdrawal depended on disarming Hezbollah. "People tend to forget, we are fighting for our lives."
Israel occupied southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched strikes on Israeli territory after the killing in a US air strike of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The conflict has killed more than 4,000 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, and has displaced more than a million.
A series of US-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon over the past months resulted in a framework peace agreement, which includes the creation of "pilot zones" – areas in southern Lebanon from which Israel has promised to withdraw to allow the Lebanese military to move in and disarm Hezbollah.
"Foreign policy is not a zero-sum game," Mr Lapid said. "It is possible, for example, to fight Hezbollah while simultaneously negotiating with the Lebanese government."
His party has been in opposition since Mr Netanyahu returned to power in January 2023, and he has formed alongside former prime minister Naftali Bennett a joint political list called Beyachad (Together).
They are hoping to capitalise on anti-Netanyahu sentiment amid growing international censure and a souring of public sentiment in the US, Israel's strongest ally.
Before Mr Netanyahu returned to office, Mr Lapid was foreign minister to Mr Bennett and briefly succeeded him as prime minister under an alternating agreement. Mr Lapid said the pair would try a different strategy this time.
He described the October elections as "the most dramatic, the most crucial, the most intense the country has ever seen".
"We need a combination of change, stability, and experience – usually those three doesn't come together," he said.
On Iran, Mr Lapid once again expressed support for the continued bombing of Iranian energy sites.
"It's going to be painful in the short term. It's the right thing to do on the long term," he said. "This will get rid of the regime, and if you get rid of the regime, you get rid of the nuclear programme, and then you get rid of the ballistic missile programme. It's a painful solution, but I think it's the only solution."
On Gaza, while Mr Lapid denied Israel has committed genocide in the Palestinian territory, he said that Israeli leaders had failed to show the appropriate empathy to people who were suffering.
"The only test for your morality is when the circumstances are immoral, and you have to make sure the people understand you care when horrible things are happening," he said.
Mr Lapid called out far-right ministers' divisive actions and comments on Gaza and Palestinians.
"If a minister in your government says a nuclear bomb should be dropped on Gaza, fire him. If a minister in your government says there are circumstances in which it is acceptable to starve a civilian population, fire him," Mr Lapid said.
"Children should not die in wars started and fought by adults."
