Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was not honest to the people of Israel regarding the fate of the Gaza Strip, opposition leader Isaac Herzog said in a speech to residents of Nativ Ha'asara, a moshav near the Gaza border.
Herzog backed Netanyahu throughout Operation Protective Edge, but he has been increasingly critical since IDF troops pulled out last week.
"Whoever said they would topple Hamas from power lied," Herzog said. "The real victory will only come in a diplomatic agreement and not in any other way. The problem is that the citizens are not being told the truth, which is that it could take weeks but in the end there will be a deal that will lead to quiet."
Shas leader Arye Deri said Netanyahu's governing coalition had already fallen apart before the operation. He accused the leaders of Bayit Yehudi and Yisrael Beytenu of "cynically" using the operation to build up their right-wing credentials instead of supporting Netanyahu during a security crisis.
"The opposition gave full support to the government since the kidnappings of the boys, but inside the coalition, since the war started, they forgot that during a war you don't criticize a prime minister," Deri told Israel Radio. "They are giving a big victory to Hamas, which sees the coalition and the government crumbling. When ministers say the prime minister did not achieve anything, for what did we fight, lose 64 soldiers, lose billions and make residents of the South suffer?"
Netanyahu also faced criticism from right-wing MKs inside Likud ahead of a potential agreement with Hamas to formally end the standoff.
"The agreement would cancel out all the achievements of Operation Protective Edge and crown Hamas the victor," warned Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely. "Any situation in which Hamas gets benefits would shame the heroism of our soldiers."
MK Danny Danon said that if Hamas leaders Ismail Haniya and Mahmoud a-Zahar are granted immunity in such an agreement it would significantly harm Israel's deterence.
"You don't make deals with a terrorist organization," Danon said. "The apparent understandings would enable Hamas to rehabilitate its standing on the Arab street and its military capabilities, which will be turned on us whenever Hamas leaders choose."
MK Miri Regev added that "any deal with Hamas would jump start them to the next attack, which will be even worse for both sides."