Tel aviv: Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday criticized Israel's recent military strike on Syria, describing it as 'unnecessary and hasty.' He used the incident to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and renewed calls for early elections.

According to Anadolu Agency, Lapid expressed his concerns in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, where he argued that the response 'was in the wrong place' and accused Israel of acting without a coherent regional strategy. 'It seemed as if we were drunk on power. Now we strike anywhere in the Middle East without a clear policy,' Lapid remarked, referring to the airstrike on Syrian military positions and infrastructure in Damascus. The Israeli government claimed the attack aimed to protect Druze communities.

Lapid further urged for early elections, stating, 'Everyone says that once we return from recess, we'll head straight to elections. We must go to elections to save ourselves from this terrible government.' The Knesset, Israel's parliament, is in recess from July 27 through October, during which time parliamentary sessions are paused.

While the current government's term is set to end next year, early elections might occur if a Knesset majority supports it or if Netanyahu agrees to dissolve parliament. However, Netanyahu has dismissed calls for early elections, citing the ongoing war in Gaza as a reason to maintain political stability. An earlier attempt by the opposition to advance a motion to dissolve the Knesset failed to gain enough support.

The recent airstrike followed clashes on July 13 between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze factions in Suwayda, southern Syria. Despite the Israeli intervention, most Druze leaders in Syria rejected foreign involvement and reaffirmed their support for a unified Syrian state. Israel's military actions have increased since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December.